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National Key Votes

Date Bill No. Bill Title Outcome Vote
May 24, 2012 S 2343 Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) Bill Failed - Senate
(51 - 43)
Nay
May 24, 2012 S Amdt 2153 Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate
(34 - 62)
Yea
May 8, 2012 S 2343 Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(52 - 45)
Nay
Aug. 5, 2010 HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
(61 - 39)
Nay
March 25, 2010 HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - Senate
(56 - 43)
Nay
March 26, 2009 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - Senate
(79 - 19)
Nay
Feb. 13, 2009 HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(60 - 38)
Nay
Feb. 10, 2009 HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Bill Passed - Senate
(61 - 37)
Nay
July 31, 2008 HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(83 - 8)
Yea
May 22, 2008 S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate
(75 - 22)
Yea
Dec. 18, 2007 HR 2764 Inclusion of Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
(76 - 17)
Nay
Oct. 24, 2007 S 2205 DREAM Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(52 - 44)
Nay
Sept. 7, 2007 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(79 - 12)
Yea
July 20, 2007 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - Senate
(78 - 18)
Nay
Aug. 3, 2006 HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(56 - 42)
Yea
July 25, 2006 S AMDT 4689 Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(48 - 51)
Nay
May 18, 2006 S AMDT 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(43 - 52)
Nay
March 16, 2006 S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate
(51 - 49)
Yea
March 16, 2006 S AMDT 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(49 - 51)
Nay
Feb. 2, 2006 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate
(66 - 31)
Yea
Oct. 26, 2005 S AMDT 2292 Individuals with Disabilities Education Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate
(46 - 53)
Nay
Oct. 26, 2005 S AMDT 2275 Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate
(44 - 51)
Nay
Oct. 25, 2005 S AMDT 2213 Federal Pell Grant Increase Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate
(48 - 51)
Nay
May 13, 2004 HR 1350 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Bill Passed - Senate
(95 - 3)
Yea
Aug. 1, 2002 HR 3009 Andean Trade Preference Act Extension Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(64 - 34)
Yea
Dec. 18, 2001 HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(87 - 10)
Yea
Nov. 6, 2001 HR 3061 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act, 2002 Bill Passed - Senate
(89 - 10)
Yea
June 28, 2000 S Amdt 3655 Funding for Special Education Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate
(51 - 47)
Nay
March 2, 2000 S 1134 Education Savings Accounts Bill Passed - Senate
(61 - 37)
Yea
April 21, 1999 HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(98 - 1)
Yea
March 11, 1999 HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Bill Passed - Senate
(98 - 1)
Yea
Aug. 6, 1998 H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House
(214 - 208)
Nay
June 18, 1998 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - House
(225 - 197)
Yea
May 6, 1998 HR 6 Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill Bill Passed - House
(414 - 4)
Yea
April 30, 1998 S 1502 Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill Bill Passed - House
(214 - 206)
Nay
Feb. 5, 1998 HR 2846 National Student Testing bill Bill Passed - House
(242 - 174)
Yea
Nov. 7, 1997 HR 2616 Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 Bill Passed - House
(367 - 57)
Yea
Nov. 7, 1997 HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - House
(352 - 65)
Nay
Nov. 4, 1997 HR 2746 HELP Scholarships bill Bill Failed - House
(191 - 228)
Yea
Oct. 23, 1997 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Bill Passed - House
(230 - 198)
Yea
May 16, 1997 HR 1385 Training Programs bill Bill Passed - House
(343 - 60)
Nay
July 11, 1996 H Amdt 1265 School Improvement Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House
(294 - 129)
Yea
July 11, 1996 H Amdt 1264 Education and Training Programs Amendment Amendment Rejected - House
(198 - 227)
Nay
Nov. 2, 1995 HR 2546 Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia Bill Passed - House
(224 - 191)
Yea
Oct. 26, 1995 HR 2491 Budget Reconciliation Bill Bill Passed - House
(227 - 203)
Yea
Sept. 22, 1994 HR 4606 Appropriations Bill FY95, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - House
(331 - 89)
Nay
June 29, 1994 HR 4606 Appropriations Bill FY95, Labor, HHS, Education Bill Passed - House
(339 - 89)
Nay
March 24, 1994 H Amdt 497 Funding and Programs Substitute Amendment Amendment Rejected - House
(173 - 245)
Yea
March 24, 1994 H Amdt 491 Homosexuality Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - House
(224 - 194)
Nay
March 23, 1994 HR 1804 Goals 2000: Educate America Act Conference Report Adopted - House
(306 - 121)
Nay

About the Selection and Descriptions of Key Votes

Project Vote Smart provides easy access to Congressional and State voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Key votes typically include the initial passage of legislation and final conference report vote versions (the compromised versions of bills passed in separate House and Senate versions). 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

Descriptions of the votes are written by Vote Smart staff and based on information included in the Congressional Record, State House Journals, or Senate Journals, with additional background information from newspapers, magazines, etc. Vote Smart provides summaries for each selected key vote. The summary does not necessarily reflect the final version of the bill.

The Key Votes Program follows Project Vote Smart's strict policies, procedures and structure that guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. In order to ensure that all Key Votes are non-partisan in their selection and language, each is approved by a group of over 160 political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

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