Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:
Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.
For more information about the legislative process, see here.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 11, 2020 | National | H J Res 76 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to "Borrower Defense Institutional Accountability" | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 42) |
June 11, 2014 | National | S 2432 | Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 38) |
July 24, 2013 | National | HR 1911 | Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
July 24, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1778 | Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
June 6, 2013 | National | S 1003 | Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 57) |
June 6, 2013 | National | S 953 | Student Loan Affordability Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 46) |
May 24, 2012 | National | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Bill Failed - Senate (51 - 43) |
May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2153 | Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62) |
May 8, 2012 | National | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
March 25, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
April 29, 2009 | National | S Con Res 13 | 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43) |
July 31, 2008 | National | HR 4137 | Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 8) |
May 22, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4803 | GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22) |
Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
Sept. 7, 2007 | National | HR 2669 | Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 12) |
July 20, 2007 | National | HR 2669 | Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18) |
Feb. 2, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31) |
Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
Oct. 27, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
Oct. 25, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2213 | Federal Pell Grant Increase Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 177 | Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
March 2, 2000 | National | S 1134 | Education Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
April 21, 1999 | National | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
March 11, 1999 | National | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
Sept. 29, 1998 | National | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0) |
July 9, 1998 | National | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
June 24, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
June 26, 1997 | National | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
Oct. 18, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
July 22, 1993 | National | S Amdt 608 | National Service Educational Awards Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (55 - 44) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
3/11 | H J Res 76 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to "Borrower Defense Institutional Accountability" | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 42) |
6/11 | S 2432 | Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 38) |
7/24 | HR 1911 | Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
7/24 | S Amdt 1778 | Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
6/06 | S 1003 | Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 57) |
6/06 | S 953 | Student Loan Affordability Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 46) |
5/24 | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Bill Failed - Senate (51 - 43) |
5/24 | S Amdt 2153 | Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62) |
5/08 | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
3/25 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
4/29 | S Con Res 13 | 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43) |
7/31 | HR 4137 | Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 8) |
5/22 | S Amdt 4803 | GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22) |
12/18 | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
9/07 | HR 2669 | Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 12) |
7/20 | HR 2669 | Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18) |
2/02 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31) |
11/03 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
10/27 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
10/25 | S Amdt 2213 | Federal Pell Grant Increase Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
3/17 | S Amdt 177 | Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
3/02 | S 1134 | Education Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
4/21 | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
3/11 | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
9/29 | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0) |
7/09 | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
6/24 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
6/26 | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
10/18 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
9/29 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
7/22 | S Amdt 608 | National Service Educational Awards Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (55 - 44) |