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
Dec. 3, 2013 IL SB 1 Amends State Employee Pension Plans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24)
Dec. 3, 2013 IL SB 1 Amends State Employee Pension Plans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24)
Nov. 21, 2013 National S 1197 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44)
Nov. 20, 2013 National H Amdt 503 Requires a Report on the Effect of Flooding on Oil and Gas Facilities Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 221)
Nov. 20, 2013 National H Amdt 498 Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222)
Nov. 20, 2013 National H Amdt 499 Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to Require Certain Findings for Categorical Exclusions Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 228)
Nov. 20, 2013 National H Amdt 504 Appropriates $10 Million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 226)
Nov. 20, 2013 National HR 1965 Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act Bill Passed - House (228 - 192)
Nov. 19, 2013 MA Amdt 1 Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
Nov. 19, 2013 MA S 1925 Increases the Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
Nov. 12, 2013 HI SB 1 - HD 1 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 4)
Nov. 8, 2013 HI SB 1 - HD 1 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (30 - 19)
Nov. 7, 2013 National S 815 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
Nov. 7, 2013 National S Amdt 2013 Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
Nov. 6, 2013 IL SB 1523 Amends Pension Code Bill Passed - House (87 - 26)
Nov. 6, 2013 IL SB 1523 Amends Pension Code Bill Passed - House (87 - 26)
Nov. 6, 2013 MI SB 652 Amends Court of Claims Judge Appointment Procedures Bill Passed - House (57 - 52)
Nov. 5, 2013 IL SB 10 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 21)
Nov. 5, 2013 IL SB 10 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (61 - 54)
Nov. 5, 2013 WI AB 297 Amends Laws Concerning the Use of Race-Based Nicknames, Logos, Mascots, and Team Names Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
Nov. 4, 2013 National S 815 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30)
Oct. 30, 2013 National H J Res 99 Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (222 - 191)
Oct. 30, 2013 MI SB 652 Amends Court of Claims Judge Appointment Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
Oct. 29, 2013 National S J Res 26 A Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit, as Submitted Under Section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 on October 17, 2013 Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
Oct. 16, 2013 National HR 2775 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 144)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/03 SB 1 Amends State Employee Pension Plans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24)
12/03 SB 1 Amends State Employee Pension Plans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24)
11/21 S 1197 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44)
11/20 H Amdt 503 Requires a Report on the Effect of Flooding on Oil and Gas Facilities Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 221)
11/20 H Amdt 498 Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222)
11/20 H Amdt 499 Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to Require Certain Findings for Categorical Exclusions Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 228)
11/20 H Amdt 504 Appropriates $10 Million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 226)
11/20 HR 1965 Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act Bill Passed - House (228 - 192)
11/19 Amdt 1 Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
11/19 S 1925 Increases the Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
11/12 SB 1 - HD 1 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 4)
11/08 SB 1 - HD 1 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (30 - 19)
11/07 S 815 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
11/07 S Amdt 2013 Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
11/06 SB 1523 Amends Pension Code Bill Passed - House (87 - 26)
11/06 SB 1523 Amends Pension Code Bill Passed - House (87 - 26)
11/06 SB 652 Amends Court of Claims Judge Appointment Procedures Bill Passed - House (57 - 52)
11/05 SB 10 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 21)
11/05 SB 10 Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (61 - 54)
11/05 AB 297 Amends Laws Concerning the Use of Race-Based Nicknames, Logos, Mascots, and Team Names Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
11/04 S 815 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30)
10/30 H J Res 99 Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (222 - 191)
10/30 SB 652 Amends Court of Claims Judge Appointment Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
10/29 S J Res 26 A Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit, as Submitted Under Section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 on October 17, 2013 Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
10/16 HR 2775 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 144)

arrow_upward