Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 22, 2009 National S Amdt 3276 Senate Health Care Bill Amendments Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39)
Dec. 3, 2009 National S Amdt 2791 Preventive Services Coverage Requirements Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39)
Dec. 3, 2009 National S Amdt 2791 Preventive Services Coverage Requirements Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39)
Oct. 22, 2009 National HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29)
July 22, 2009 National S Amdt 1618 Authorizing Concealed Firearms Across State Lines Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 39)
July 8, 2009 National S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
June 11, 2009 National HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 17)
May 12, 2009 National S Amdt 1067 Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29)
March 19, 2009 National HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20)
Feb. 26, 2009 National S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
Feb. 3, 2009 National S Amdt 109 Hollywood Productions Tax Credit Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 45)
Jan. 15, 2009 National S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 21)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/22 S Amdt 3276 Senate Health Care Bill Amendments Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39)
12/03 S Amdt 2791 Preventive Services Coverage Requirements Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39)
12/03 S Amdt 2791 Preventive Services Coverage Requirements Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39)
10/22 HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29)
7/22 S Amdt 1618 Authorizing Concealed Firearms Across State Lines Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 39)
7/08 S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
6/11 HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 17)
5/12 S Amdt 1067 Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29)
3/19 HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20)
2/26 S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
2/03 S Amdt 109 Hollywood Productions Tax Credit Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 45)
1/15 S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 21)

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