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
Sept. 23, 2011 National S Amdt 655 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36)
Sept. 15, 2011 National S Amdt 602 Emergency Disaster Relief Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37)
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 - Senate (72 - 23)
May 23, 2011 National S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
May 4, 2011 TX HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
Feb. 15, 2011 National HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
Feb. 15, 2011 National S Amdt 14 Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
Oct. 20, 2009 National HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
July 8, 2009 National S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
June 1, 2009 NV SB 52 New Standards for Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
July 9, 2008 National S Amdt 5064 Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66)
July 9, 2008 National HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4231 Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37)
Feb. 28, 2008 WI AB 581 Gun Possession During Emergencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
Feb. 13, 2008 National HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
Feb. 12, 2008 National S Amdt 3910 FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41)
Feb. 12, 2008 National S Amdt 3907 Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67)
Feb. 12, 2008 National S 2248 FISA Amendments Act of 2007 Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29)
Dec. 18, 2007 National HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17)
Sept. 19, 2007 National S Amdt 2022 Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
Aug. 3, 2007 National S 1927 Foreign Intelligence Acquisition Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 28)
July 26, 2007 National S Amdt 2405 REAL ID Funding Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44)
July 26, 2007 National S Amdt 2480 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/23 S Amdt 655 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36)
9/15 S Amdt 602 Emergency Disaster Relief Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37)
5/28 HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
5/23 S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
5/04 HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
2/15 HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
2/15 S Amdt 14 Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
5/27 S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
10/20 HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
7/08 S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
6/01 SB 52 New Standards for Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
7/09 S Amdt 5064 Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66)
7/09 HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28)
3/13 S Amdt 4231 Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37)
2/28 AB 581 Gun Possession During Emergencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
2/13 HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
2/12 S Amdt 3910 FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41)
2/12 S Amdt 3907 Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67)
2/12 S 2248 FISA Amendments Act of 2007 Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29)
12/18 HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17)
9/19 S Amdt 2022 Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
8/03 S 1927 Foreign Intelligence Acquisition Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 28)
7/26 S Amdt 2405 REAL ID Funding Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44)
7/26 S Amdt 2480 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1)

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