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
July 23, 2013 National H Amdt 375 Prohibits the Use of Funds to Appoint Chaplains Without an Endorsing Agency Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173)
July 8, 2013 CA AB 817 Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
June 27, 2013 National S 744 Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32)
June 18, 2013 National S Amdt 1197 Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54)
June 18, 2013 National S Amdt 1228 Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58)
June 18, 2013 National S Amdt 1197 Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54)
June 14, 2013 National HR 1960 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Bill Passed - House (315 - 108)
June 14, 2013 National HR 1960 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Bill Passed - House (315 - 108)
June 14, 2013 National H Amdt 167 Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen Amendment Adopted - House (236 - 188)
June 14, 2013 National H Amdt 167 Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen Amendment Adopted - House (236 - 188)
June 14, 2013 National HR 1960 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Motion Rejected - House (194 - 225)
June 14, 2013 National H Amdt 168 Establishes Framework for the Closing of the Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by December 1, 2014 Amendment Rejected - House (174 - 249)
June 11, 2013 National S 744 Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15)
June 6, 2013 National H Amdt 136 Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 201)
June 6, 2013 National HR 2217 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (245 - 182)
June 6, 2013 National HR 2217 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (245 - 182)
June 4, 2013 National H Amdt 84 Authorizes Funds for the Construction of United States Prison for Prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Amendment Rejected - House (170 - 254)
May 29, 2013 CT HB 6495 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
May 29, 2013 CA AB 60 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (55 - 20)
May 27, 2013 NV SB 303 Authorizes Driver Authorization Cards for Non-Citizens Bill Passed - House (30 - 9)
May 23, 2013 CA AB 817 Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements Bill Passed - House (49 - 23)
May 22, 2013 National H Amdt 75 Requires All Oil and Refined Fuels Transported Through the Keystone XL Pipeline to be Used Only in The United States Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 255)
May 22, 2013 National H Amdt 69 Requires Threat Assessment of Pipeline Vulnerabilities to a Terrorist Attack Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 239)
May 22, 2013 CT HB 6495 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (74 - 55)
May 16, 2013 CA AB 4 Prohibits Law Enforcement From Detaining Individuals Based Solely on Immigration Status Bill Passed - House (44 - 22)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/23 H Amdt 375 Prohibits the Use of Funds to Appoint Chaplains Without an Endorsing Agency Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173)
7/08 AB 817 Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
6/27 S 744 Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32)
6/18 S Amdt 1197 Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54)
6/18 S Amdt 1228 Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58)
6/18 S Amdt 1197 Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54)
6/14 HR 1960 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Bill Passed - House (315 - 108)
6/14 HR 1960 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Bill Passed - House (315 - 108)
6/14 H Amdt 167 Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen Amendment Adopted - House (236 - 188)
6/14 H Amdt 167 Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen Amendment Adopted - House (236 - 188)
6/14 HR 1960 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Motion Rejected - House (194 - 225)
6/14 H Amdt 168 Establishes Framework for the Closing of the Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by December 1, 2014 Amendment Rejected - House (174 - 249)
6/11 S 744 Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15)
6/06 H Amdt 136 Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 201)
6/06 HR 2217 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (245 - 182)
6/06 HR 2217 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (245 - 182)
6/04 H Amdt 84 Authorizes Funds for the Construction of United States Prison for Prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Amendment Rejected - House (170 - 254)
5/29 HB 6495 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
5/29 AB 60 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (55 - 20)
5/27 SB 303 Authorizes Driver Authorization Cards for Non-Citizens Bill Passed - House (30 - 9)
5/23 AB 817 Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements Bill Passed - House (49 - 23)
5/22 H Amdt 75 Requires All Oil and Refined Fuels Transported Through the Keystone XL Pipeline to be Used Only in The United States Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 255)
5/22 H Amdt 69 Requires Threat Assessment of Pipeline Vulnerabilities to a Terrorist Attack Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 239)
5/22 HB 6495 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (74 - 55)
5/16 AB 4 Prohibits Law Enforcement From Detaining Individuals Based Solely on Immigration Status Bill Passed - House (44 - 22)

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