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
Aug. 29, 2012 CA AB 2189 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
Aug. 2, 2012 National S 3414 Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
Aug. 2, 2012 National S 3414 Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
July 5, 2012 CA AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
June 20, 2012 National S Amdt 2454 Prohibits Food Aid to North Korea Unless Waived by President Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 40)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
May 15, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
May 2, 2012 NH HB 1383 Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5)
April 24, 2012 AZ SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
April 24, 2012 TN HJR 587 Opposes the United Nations Agenda 21 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
April 12, 2012 TN SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
April 11, 2012 NE LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
April 9, 2012 CO SB 15 College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
March 20, 2012 National S Amdt 1836 Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44)
March 5, 2012 GA SB 458 Repeals Certain Public Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19)
March 1, 2012 AZ SB 1507 Prohibits Implementation of the United Nations Rio Declaration Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
Feb. 13, 2012 NM SB 235 Restricting Driver's Licenses for Foreign Nationals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15)
Jan. 9, 2012 NJ S 3172 Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
Dec. 17, 2011 National HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 32)
Dec. 15, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
Dec. 15, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
Dec. 15, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
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 1125 Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/29 AB 2189 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
8/02 S 3414 Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
8/02 S 3414 Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
7/05 AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
6/20 S Amdt 2454 Prohibits Food Aid to North Korea Unless Waived by President Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 40)
5/24 S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
5/15 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
5/02 HB 1383 Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5)
4/24 SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
4/24 HJR 587 Opposes the United Nations Agenda 21 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
4/12 SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/09 SB 15 College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
3/20 S Amdt 1836 Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44)
3/05 SB 458 Repeals Certain Public Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19)
3/01 SB 1507 Prohibits Implementation of the United Nations Rio Declaration Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
2/13 SB 235 Restricting Driver's Licenses for Foreign Nationals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15)
1/09 S 3172 Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
12/17 HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 32)
12/15 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
12/15 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
12/15 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
12/01 S Amdt 1126 Prohibits Detention of U.S. Citizens Without Trial Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
12/01 S Amdt 1125 Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)

arrow_upward