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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 8, 2007 | National | PN 958 | Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40) |
| Nov. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
| Nov. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
| Oct. 24, 2007 | National | S 2205 | DREAM Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44) |
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | HR 3093 | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19) |
| Oct. 3, 2007 | National | S Amdt 3117 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (95 - 1) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (67 - 29) |
| Sept. 19, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2022 | Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Sept. 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Aug. 2, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| July 26, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2405 | REAL ID Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44) |
| July 26, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2480 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1) |
| July 19, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2351 | Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
| June 28, 2007 | National | S 1639 | Second Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53) |
| June 28, 2007 | National | S 1639 | Second Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53) |
| June 11, 2007 | National | S J Res 14 | Attorney General No Confidence Vote | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38) |
| June 7, 2007 | National | S 1348 | Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (34 - 61) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1384 | English as the Common Language | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1316 | Five Year Expiration for Guest Worker Program | Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 48) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1151 | Declaring English the National Language | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 33) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1202 | Point Based Immigration Expiration Date | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 55) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1333 | Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1333 | Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1250 | Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1250 | Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1184 | Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1184 | Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51) |
| May 23, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1169 | Guest Worker Number Reduction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (74 - 24) |
| April 11, 2007 | National | S 30 | Stem Cell Research Hope Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (70 - 28) |
| April 11, 2007 | National | S 5 | Stem Cell Research Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 34) |
| March 20, 2007 | National | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/08 | PN 958 | Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40) |
| 11/01 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
| 11/01 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
| 10/24 | S 2205 | DREAM Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44) |
| 10/16 | HR 3093 | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19) |
| 10/03 | S Amdt 3117 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (95 - 1) |
| 9/27 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (67 - 29) |
| 9/19 | S Amdt 2022 | Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 9/06 | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 8/02 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 7/26 | S Amdt 2405 | REAL ID Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44) |
| 7/26 | S Amdt 2480 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1) |
| 7/19 | S Amdt 2351 | Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
| 6/28 | S 1639 | Second Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 6/28 | S 1639 | Second Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 6/11 | S J Res 14 | Attorney General No Confidence Vote | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38) |
| 6/07 | S 1348 | Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (34 - 61) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1384 | English as the Common Language | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1316 | Five Year Expiration for Guest Worker Program | Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 48) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1151 | Declaring English the National Language | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 33) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1202 | Point Based Immigration Expiration Date | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 55) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1333 | Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1333 | Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1250 | Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1250 | Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1184 | Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1184 | Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51) |
| 5/23 | S Amdt 1169 | Guest Worker Number Reduction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 4/11 | S 30 | Stem Cell Research Hope Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (70 - 28) |
| 4/11 | S 5 | Stem Cell Research Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 34) |
| 3/20 | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2) |