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
Feb. 19, 2013 WY HB 1 2013-2014 Supplemental Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (50 - 6)
Feb. 19, 2013 SD SB 195 Establishes Incentives for Wind Energy Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
Feb. 19, 2013 IA HF 215 Appropriates Education Funding and Establishes New Programs Bill Passed - House (52 - 44)
Feb. 19, 2013 IN SB 91 Establishes Motorsports Investment District Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
Feb. 18, 2013 AR HB 1295 Establishes Tiered System for Lottery Scholarships Bill Passed - House (69 - 21)
Feb. 16, 2013 MT SB 81 Establishes Tax Deductions for Donations to Educational Charities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
Feb. 16, 2013 MT SB 81 Establishes Tax Deductions for Donations to Educational Charities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
Feb. 15, 2013 National HR 273 Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees Bill Passed - House (261 - 154)
Feb. 14, 2013 MN HF 9 Expands Medicaid Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22)
Feb. 14, 2013 NJ S 2535 Increases Earned Income Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (48 - 24)
Feb. 14, 2013 ID H 88 Expands Tax Credit for New Employees Bill Passed - House (62 - 7)
Feb. 14, 2013 IA SF 161 Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22)
Feb. 14, 2013 ID H 88 Expands Tax Credit for New Employees Bill Passed - House (62 - 7)
Feb. 14, 2013 IA SF 162 Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22)
Feb. 13, 2013 VA HB 2313 Repeals the Retail Gas Tax and Establishes a Wholesale Gas Tax Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
Feb. 13, 2013 VA HB 2313 Repeals the Retail Gas Tax and Establishes a Wholesale Gas Tax Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
Feb. 12, 2013 ID H 62 Expands Sales Tax Exemptions For Health-Related Entities Bill Passed - House (58 - 12)
Feb. 11, 2013 ND HB 1182 Repeals State Income Tax for the 2013 and 2014 Tax Years Bill Failed - House (23 - 63)
Feb. 9, 2013 MT SB 96 Reduces Business Equipment Tax Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
Feb. 7, 2013 IN HB 1005 Changes Eligibility for College Financial Aid Bill Passed - House (86 - 13)
Feb. 6, 2013 NH CACR1 Requires Three-Fifths Majority for Tax Increases "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (206 - 149)
Feb. 5, 2013 WY HB 230 Appropriates Funds for Schools to Hire School Resource Officers Bill Passed - House (38 - 22)
Feb. 4, 2013 UT HB 34 Authorizes "In God We Trust" on License Plates Bill Passed - House (64 - 9)
Feb. 4, 2013 UT HB 274 Establishes a Tax Credit for Employing a Homeless Individual Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
Jan. 31, 2013 National HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34)
Jan. 30, 2013 IA SF 52 Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
Jan. 28, 2013 National HR 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
Jan. 23, 2013 National HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (285 - 144)
Jan. 15, 2013 National H Amdt 4 Offsets Cost of Disaster Relief Appropriations Through Discretionary Budget Cuts Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 258)
Jan. 15, 2013 National HR 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - House (241 - 180)
Jan. 1, 2013 National HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (257 - 167)
Jan. 1, 2013 National HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 8)
Jan. 1, 2013 National HR 6726 Congressional Pay Freeze and Fiscal Responsibility Act Bill Passed - House (287 - 129)
Dec. 20, 2012 National HR 6684 Spending Reduction Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (215 - 209)
Dec. 17, 2012 NJ S 581 Establishes Tax Credits for Investors in Small Business Technology Bill Passed - House (47 - 30)
Oct. 17, 2012 PA HB 2626 Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 80)
Oct. 17, 2012 PA HB 2626 Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
Sept. 22, 2012 National H J Res 117 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (62 - 30)
Sept. 13, 2012 National HR 6365 National Security and Job Protection Act Bill Passed - House (223 - 196)
Aug. 30, 2012 CA AB 1478 Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 20)
Aug. 30, 2012 CA AB 1478 Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
Aug. 13, 2012 CA AB 1500 Corporate Tax Rates and Middle Class Scholarship Fund Bill Passed - House (54 - 25)
Aug. 2, 2012 National HR 6169 Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (232 - 189)
Aug. 1, 2012 National HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (256 - 171)
July 31, 2012 National HR 828 Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (263 - 114)
July 25, 2012 National S Amdt 2573 Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012 Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
July 25, 2012 National HR 459 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (327 - 98)
July 25, 2012 National S 3412 Middle Class Tax Cut Act Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 48)
July 19, 2012 National S 3364 Bring Jobs Home Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
July 12, 2012 National S 2237 Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/19 HB 1 2013-2014 Supplemental Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (50 - 6)
2/19 SB 195 Establishes Incentives for Wind Energy Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
2/19 HF 215 Appropriates Education Funding and Establishes New Programs Bill Passed - House (52 - 44)
2/19 SB 91 Establishes Motorsports Investment District Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
2/18 HB 1295 Establishes Tiered System for Lottery Scholarships Bill Passed - House (69 - 21)
2/16 SB 81 Establishes Tax Deductions for Donations to Educational Charities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
2/16 SB 81 Establishes Tax Deductions for Donations to Educational Charities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
2/15 HR 273 Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees Bill Passed - House (261 - 154)
2/14 HF 9 Expands Medicaid Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22)
2/14 S 2535 Increases Earned Income Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (48 - 24)
2/14 H 88 Expands Tax Credit for New Employees Bill Passed - House (62 - 7)
2/14 SF 161 Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22)
2/14 H 88 Expands Tax Credit for New Employees Bill Passed - House (62 - 7)
2/14 SF 162 Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22)
2/13 HB 2313 Repeals the Retail Gas Tax and Establishes a Wholesale Gas Tax Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
2/13 HB 2313 Repeals the Retail Gas Tax and Establishes a Wholesale Gas Tax Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
2/12 H 62 Expands Sales Tax Exemptions For Health-Related Entities Bill Passed - House (58 - 12)
2/11 HB 1182 Repeals State Income Tax for the 2013 and 2014 Tax Years Bill Failed - House (23 - 63)
2/09 SB 96 Reduces Business Equipment Tax Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
2/07 HB 1005 Changes Eligibility for College Financial Aid Bill Passed - House (86 - 13)
2/06 CACR1 Requires Three-Fifths Majority for Tax Increases "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (206 - 149)
2/05 HB 230 Appropriates Funds for Schools to Hire School Resource Officers Bill Passed - House (38 - 22)
2/04 HB 34 Authorizes "In God We Trust" on License Plates Bill Passed - House (64 - 9)
2/04 HB 274 Establishes a Tax Credit for Employing a Homeless Individual Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
1/31 HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34)
1/30 SF 52 Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
1/28 HR 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
1/23 HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (285 - 144)
1/15 H Amdt 4 Offsets Cost of Disaster Relief Appropriations Through Discretionary Budget Cuts Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 258)
1/15 HR 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - House (241 - 180)
1/01 HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (257 - 167)
1/01 HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 8)
1/01 HR 6726 Congressional Pay Freeze and Fiscal Responsibility Act Bill Passed - House (287 - 129)
12/20 HR 6684 Spending Reduction Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (215 - 209)
12/17 S 581 Establishes Tax Credits for Investors in Small Business Technology Bill Passed - House (47 - 30)
10/17 HB 2626 Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 80)
10/17 HB 2626 Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
9/22 H J Res 117 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (62 - 30)
9/13 HR 6365 National Security and Job Protection Act Bill Passed - House (223 - 196)
8/30 AB 1478 Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 20)
8/30 AB 1478 Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
8/13 AB 1500 Corporate Tax Rates and Middle Class Scholarship Fund Bill Passed - House (54 - 25)
8/02 HR 6169 Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (232 - 189)
8/01 HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (256 - 171)
7/31 HR 828 Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (263 - 114)
7/25 S Amdt 2573 Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012 Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
7/25 HR 459 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (327 - 98)
7/25 S 3412 Middle Class Tax Cut Act Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 48)
7/19 S 3364 Bring Jobs Home Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
7/12 S 2237 Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44)

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