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
Feb. 2, 2011 UT HB 211 Community Service Medicaid Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (56 - 15)
Jan. 31, 2011 IN HB 1450 Unemployment Insurance Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 38)
Jan. 28, 2011 WY HB 244 Unemployment Insurance Amendments
Jan. 24, 2011 WA HB 1086 2011-2012 Supplemental Budget Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
Dec. 8, 2010 National S 3985 Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
Dec. 8, 2010 National HR 5987 Seniors Protection Act Bill Failed - House (254 - 153)
Nov. 18, 2010 National HR 6419 Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits Bill Failed - House (258 - 154)
July 22, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
July 21, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
July 20, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
July 1, 2010 National HR 5618 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - House (270 - 153)
May 28, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204)
April 15, 2010 National HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (289 - 112)
April 15, 2010 National HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38)
March 10, 2010 National HR 4213 Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
March 3, 2010 National S Amdt 3353 Payment to Social Security Recipients Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 50)
Nov. 5, 2009 National HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12)
Oct. 27, 2009 National HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits Cloture Invoked - Senate (87 - 13)
Sept. 22, 2009 National HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (331 - 83)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
July 26, 2008 National S 3186 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35)
July 15, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
July 15, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41)
July 9, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
June 24, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Bill Passed - House (355 - 59)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/02 HB 211 Community Service Medicaid Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (56 - 15)
1/31 HB 1450 Unemployment Insurance Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 38)
1/28 HB 244 Unemployment Insurance Amendments
1/24 HB 1086 2011-2012 Supplemental Budget Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
12/08 S 3985 Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
12/08 HR 5987 Seniors Protection Act Bill Failed - House (254 - 153)
11/18 HR 6419 Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits Bill Failed - House (258 - 154)
7/22 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
7/21 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
7/20 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
7/01 HR 5618 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - House (270 - 153)
5/28 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204)
4/15 HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (289 - 112)
4/15 HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38)
3/10 HR 4213 Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
3/03 S Amdt 3353 Payment to Social Security Recipients Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 50)
11/05 HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12)
10/27 HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits Cloture Invoked - Senate (87 - 13)
9/22 HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (331 - 83)
10/03 HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
7/26 S 3186 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35)
7/15 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
7/15 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41)
7/09 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
6/24 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Bill Passed - House (355 - 59)

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