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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1491 | Requires Disclosure of Financial Transactions by Executive Branch Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| Jan. 26, 2012 | National | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| Jan. 18, 2012 | National | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176) |
| Dec. 2, 2011 | National | HR 3010 | Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies | Bill Passed - House (253 - 167) |
| Sept. 14, 2011 | National | H J Res 77 | Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 292 | Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| Sept. 7, 2011 | CA | SB 292 | Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review | Bill Passed - House (63 - 13) |
| June 23, 2011 | National | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| June 21, 2011 | OR | SB 552 | Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction | Bill Passed - House (38 - 22) |
| June 3, 2011 | National | H Res 292 | Ground Forces in Libya | Resolution Passed - House (268 - 145) |
| June 3, 2011 | National | H Con Res 51 | Removing Armed Forces from Libya | Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265) |
| April 15, 2011 | IN | SB 473 | Toll Way Projects | Bill Passed - House (73 - 19) |
| April 13, 2011 | AZ | HB 2177 | Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Presidential Candidates | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| April 8, 2011 | MD | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65) |
| April 6, 2011 | OR | SB 552 | Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| April 5, 2011 | MD | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 1, 2011 | National | HR 1255 | Government Shutdown Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 202) |
| March 15, 2011 | MI | HB 4214 | Fiscal Accountability for Local Governments and School Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 15, 2011 | MI | HB 4214 | Fiscal Accountability for Local Governments and School Districts | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 48) |
| March 9, 2011 | MI | HB 4216 | Local Governments Fiscal Accountability | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 8, 2011 | MD | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Bill Passed - House (74 - 66) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | MI | HB 4214 | Fiscal Accountability for Local Governments and School Districts | Bill Passed - House (62 - 47) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | MI | HB 4216 | Local Governments Fiscal Accountability | Bill Passed - House (62 - 47) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/02 | S Amdt 1491 | Requires Disclosure of Financial Transactions by Executive Branch Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 2/02 | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| 1/26 | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| 1/18 | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176) |
| 12/02 | HR 3010 | Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies | Bill Passed - House (253 - 167) |
| 9/14 | H J Res 77 | Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186) |
| 9/09 | SB 292 | Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 9/07 | SB 292 | Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review | Bill Passed - House (63 - 13) |
| 6/23 | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| 6/21 | SB 552 | Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction | Bill Passed - House (38 - 22) |
| 6/03 | H Res 292 | Ground Forces in Libya | Resolution Passed - House (268 - 145) |
| 6/03 | H Con Res 51 | Removing Armed Forces from Libya | Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265) |
| 4/15 | SB 473 | Toll Way Projects | Bill Passed - House (73 - 19) |
| 4/13 | HB 2177 | Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Presidential Candidates | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 4/08 | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65) |
| 4/06 | SB 552 | Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 4/05 | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| 4/01 | HR 1255 | Government Shutdown Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 202) |
| 3/15 | HB 4214 | Fiscal Accountability for Local Governments and School Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/15 | HB 4214 | Fiscal Accountability for Local Governments and School Districts | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 48) |
| 3/09 | HB 4216 | Local Governments Fiscal Accountability | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/08 | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Bill Passed - House (74 - 66) |
| 2/24 | HB 4214 | Fiscal Accountability for Local Governments and School Districts | Bill Passed - House (62 - 47) |
| 2/23 | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 2/23 | HB 4216 | Local Governments Fiscal Accountability | Bill Passed - House (62 - 47) |