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Patriotic holiday. Silhouettes of people holding the Flag of USA. America celebrate 4th of July.

Senate Rejects Standalone Defense Funding Bill Amid Ongoing Government Shutdown

Source 1: POLITICO, Source 2: Fox News

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton Charged in Classified Documents Case

Source 1: Breitbart, Source 2: CNN

U.S. and Russia Plan Upcoming Summit in Budapest to Discuss Ukraine Conflict

Source 1: Newsmax, Source 2: Reuters

Share your act of courage this week to be included in next week’s update — you can even backdate your act to September 8th.

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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:

The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue.
The vote should be clear for any person to understand.
The vote has received media attention.
The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin.

Click Here for the Key Votes Visualization

Congress

Congress – Senate Cloture Not Invoked HR 5371 – Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026

State

Massachusetts (MA) – Senate Passed S 2608 - Limits Companies' Data Collection, Giving Consumers Meaningful Online Privacy and Security Protections

Ohio (OH) – Senate Passed & House Concurrence Vote Passed HB 57 – Authorizes K-12 Schools to Store and Use Opioid Reversal Drugs (Naloxone)

Michigan (MI) - Governor Gretchen Whitmer Signed HB 4951 - Establishes the Imposition, Collection, and Enforcement of Excise Taxes on Certain Sales of Cannabis

For full details on each bill, visit our Vote Smart Issue Summary page.

Republican Ohio Representative Dave Taylor condemned the display of an altered American flag that included a swastika in his office, calling it “a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol” that his office is investigating.

Democrat 41-year-old Oregon State Representative Hoa Nguyen died Thursday morning (October 9th) following a battle with cancer. Nguyen was a Democrat and represented House District 48, which includes Damascus and East Portland. According to Oregon Democratic leaders, the party will form a nominating convention as the first step to filling Nguyen’s seat.

Next week, there are special primary elections in Alabama and South Carolina. Click on the link below to view the results:

Thanks to your incredible reviews, we are excited to share that we’ve been recognized as one of the 2025 Best Nonprofits by GreatNonprofits! This honor will be officially promoted by GreatNonprofits after October 31st. This achievement is because of you—our supporters—who took the time to share your stories and experiences with Vote Smart. Your voices made this recognition possible, and we are deeply grateful.