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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 14, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Sept. 13, 2012 | National | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| Aug. 2, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
| July 19, 2012 | National | HR 5856 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - House (326 - 90) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1140 | Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162) |
| May 17, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1103 | Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303) |
| May 10, 2012 | National | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| April 24, 2012 | AZ | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| April 19, 2012 | AZ | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 22) |
| Dec. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2055 | Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 32) |
| Dec. 16, 2011 | National | HR 2055 | Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (296 - 121) |
| Dec. 15, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1126 | Prohibits Detention of U.S. Citizens Without Trial | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1274 | Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 59) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1125 | Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1107 | Removes Provisions Requiring Military Custody of al-Qaeda Suspects | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1064 | Repeals Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq | Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 67) |
| Oct. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 753 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for Prosecution of Enemy Combatants in Civilian Courts | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
| Sept. 22, 2011 | National | S Amdt 634 | Sale of F-16 Aircraft to Taiwan | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 48) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/14 | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 9/13 | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| 9/12 | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| 8/02 | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
| 7/19 | HR 5856 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - House (326 - 90) |
| 5/18 | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 1140 | Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162) |
| 5/17 | H Amdt 1103 | Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303) |
| 5/10 | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| 4/26 | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| 4/24 | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| 4/19 | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 22) |
| 12/17 | HR 2055 | Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 32) |
| 12/16 | HR 2055 | Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (296 - 121) |
| 12/15 | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13) |
| 12/14 | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| 12/01 | S Amdt 1126 | Prohibits Detention of U.S. Citizens Without Trial | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
| 12/01 | S Amdt 1274 | Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 59) |
| 12/01 | S Amdt 1125 | Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
| 11/29 | S Amdt 1107 | Removes Provisions Requiring Military Custody of al-Qaeda Suspects | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60) |
| 11/29 | S Amdt 1064 | Repeals Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq | Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 67) |
| 10/21 | S Amdt 753 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for Prosecution of Enemy Combatants in Civilian Courts | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| 9/23 | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
| 9/22 | S Amdt 634 | Sale of F-16 Aircraft to Taiwan | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 48) |