Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
July 24, 2025 National PN 25-54 Nomination of Richard Topping to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 47)
July 24, 2025 National PN 22-15 Nomination of Matthew Lohmmeier to be Under Secretary of the Air Force Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 46)
July 24, 2025 National PN 25-54 Nomination of Richard Topping to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 47)
July 24, 2025 National PN 25-54 Nomination of Richard Topping to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
July 24, 2025 National PN 25-54 Nomination of Richard Topping to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
July 23, 2025 National HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Motion Agreed - Senate (90 - 8)
July 23, 2025 National HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Motion Agreed - Senate (90 - 8)
July 23, 2025 National PN 25-53 Nomination of Aaron Szabo to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (49 - 47)
July 23, 2025 National PN 22-25 Nomination of Arielle Roth to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 41)
July 23, 2025 National PN 24-3 Nomination of John Hurley to be Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 47)
July 23, 2025 National PN 22-15 Nomination of Matthew Lohmmeier to be Under Secretary of the Air Force Cloture Invoked - Senate (49 - 47)
July 23, 2025 National PN 25-53 Nomination of Aaron Szabo to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Cloture Invoked - Senate (48 - 47)
July 23, 2025 National HR 4275 Coast Guard Authorization Act Bill Passed - House (399 - 12)
July 22, 2025 National HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Cloture Invoked - Senate (91 - 7)
July 22, 2025 National HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Cloture Invoked - Senate (91 - 7)
July 22, 2025 National PN 26-11 Nomination of Terrance Cole to be Administrator of Drug Enforcement Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 47)
July 22, 2025 National PN 26-27 Nomination of Aaron Lukas to be Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 46)
July 22, 2025 National HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Motion Agreed - Senate (50 - 48)
July 22, 2025 National HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Motion Agreed - Senate (50 - 48)
July 22, 2025 National HR 3937 Wabeno Economic Development Act Bill Passed - House (410 - 1)
July 21, 2025 National PN 26-11 Nomination of Terrance Cole to be Administrator of Drug Enforcement Cloture Invoked - Senate (44 - 43)
July 18, 2025 National HR 4016 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026 Bill Passed - House (221 - 209)
July 18, 2025 National HR 4016 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026 Bill Passed - House (221 - 209)
July 17, 2025 CA AB 138 Authorizes Agreements Entered Into by the State and Certain State Employee Bargaining Units Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 4)
July 17, 2025 CA AB 138 Authorizes Agreements Entered Into by the State and Certain State Employee Bargaining Units Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/24 PN 25-54 Nomination of Richard Topping to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 47)
7/24 PN 22-15 Nomination of Matthew Lohmmeier to be Under Secretary of the Air Force Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 46)
7/24 PN 25-54 Nomination of Richard Topping to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 47)
7/24 PN 25-54 Nomination of Richard Topping to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
7/24 PN 25-54 Nomination of Richard Topping to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
7/23 HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Motion Agreed - Senate (90 - 8)
7/23 HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Motion Agreed - Senate (90 - 8)
7/23 PN 25-53 Nomination of Aaron Szabo to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (49 - 47)
7/23 PN 22-25 Nomination of Arielle Roth to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 41)
7/23 PN 24-3 Nomination of John Hurley to be Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 47)
7/23 PN 22-15 Nomination of Matthew Lohmmeier to be Under Secretary of the Air Force Cloture Invoked - Senate (49 - 47)
7/23 PN 25-53 Nomination of Aaron Szabo to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Cloture Invoked - Senate (48 - 47)
7/23 HR 4275 Coast Guard Authorization Act Bill Passed - House (399 - 12)
7/22 HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Cloture Invoked - Senate (91 - 7)
7/22 HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Cloture Invoked - Senate (91 - 7)
7/22 PN 26-11 Nomination of Terrance Cole to be Administrator of Drug Enforcement Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 47)
7/22 PN 26-27 Nomination of Aaron Lukas to be Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 46)
7/22 HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Motion Agreed - Senate (50 - 48)
7/22 HR 3944 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 Motion Agreed - Senate (50 - 48)
7/22 HR 3937 Wabeno Economic Development Act Bill Passed - House (410 - 1)
7/21 PN 26-11 Nomination of Terrance Cole to be Administrator of Drug Enforcement Cloture Invoked - Senate (44 - 43)
7/18 HR 4016 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026 Bill Passed - House (221 - 209)
7/18 HR 4016 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026 Bill Passed - House (221 - 209)
7/17 AB 138 Authorizes Agreements Entered Into by the State and Certain State Employee Bargaining Units Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 4)
7/17 AB 138 Authorizes Agreements Entered Into by the State and Certain State Employee Bargaining Units Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9)

arrow_upward