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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 24, 2011 | National | HR 2278 | Limits the Use of Funds in Support of NATO Operations in Libya | Bill Failed - House (180 - 238) |
| June 19, 2011 | LA | HB 342 | Requires Certain Employers to Use E-Verify | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| June 15, 2011 | TX | SB 9 | Enforcement of Federal and State Immigration Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| June 13, 2011 | National | H Amdt 414 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the War Powers Resolution | Amendment Adopted - House (248 - 163) |
| June 8, 2011 | WI | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| June 3, 2011 | National | H Con Res 51 | Removing Armed Forces from Libya | Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265) |
| June 3, 2011 | National | H Con Res 51 | Removing Armed Forces from Libya | Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265) |
| June 3, 2011 | National | H Res 292 | Ground Forces in Libya | Resolution Passed - House (268 - 145) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 29) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 406 | Transportation Security Administration Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - House (219 - 204) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 398 | Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Transportation Security Administration Collective Bargaining | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 205) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 385 | Prohibiting Funds From Being Used in Contradiction to the War Powers Resolution | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 213) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 385 | Prohibiting Funds From Being Used in Contradiction to the War Powers Resolution | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 213) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | HR 2017 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (231 - 188) |
| June 2, 2011 | National | HR 2017 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (231 - 188) |
| June 1, 2011 | CA | AB 131 | In-State College Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (50 - 27) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| May 28, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 53) |
| May 28, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11) |
| May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23) |
| May 25, 2011 | SC | S 20 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (65 - 39) |
| May 24, 2011 | CT | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 23, 2011 | National | S 1038 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24 | HR 2278 | Limits the Use of Funds in Support of NATO Operations in Libya | Bill Failed - House (180 - 238) |
| 6/19 | HB 342 | Requires Certain Employers to Use E-Verify | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 6/15 | SB 9 | Enforcement of Federal and State Immigration Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 414 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the War Powers Resolution | Amendment Adopted - House (248 - 163) |
| 6/08 | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 6/03 | H Con Res 51 | Removing Armed Forces from Libya | Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265) |
| 6/03 | H Con Res 51 | Removing Armed Forces from Libya | Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265) |
| 6/03 | H Res 292 | Ground Forces in Libya | Resolution Passed - House (268 - 145) |
| 6/02 | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 6/02 | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 29) |
| 6/02 | H Amdt 406 | Transportation Security Administration Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - House (219 - 204) |
| 6/02 | H Amdt 398 | Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Transportation Security Administration Collective Bargaining | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 205) |
| 6/02 | H Amdt 385 | Prohibiting Funds From Being Used in Contradiction to the War Powers Resolution | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 213) |
| 6/02 | H Amdt 385 | Prohibiting Funds From Being Used in Contradiction to the War Powers Resolution | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 213) |
| 6/02 | HR 2017 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (231 - 188) |
| 6/02 | HR 2017 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (231 - 188) |
| 6/01 | AB 131 | In-State College Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (50 - 27) |
| 5/30 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 5/28 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 53) |
| 5/28 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 5/26 | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| 5/26 | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23) |
| 5/25 | S 20 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (65 - 39) |
| 5/24 | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/23 | S 1038 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8) |