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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 24, 2011 | WA | HB 1086 | 2011-2012 Supplemental Budget | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| Jan. 13, 2011 | MT | HB 1 | Funding for Legislative Session | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| 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) |
| Oct. 7, 2010 | CA | SB 870 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (57 - 13) |
| Sept. 30, 2010 | National | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 194) |
| July 27, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (308 - 114) |
| July 22, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| July 1, 2010 | National | HR 5618 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Bill Passed - House (270 - 153) |
| July 1, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (100 - 321) |
| July 1, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (239 - 182) |
| 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) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | AZ | SB 1003 | Lottery Revenue Bond Authorization and State Building Lease-Purchase Agreements | Bill Passed - House (31 - 27) |
| Feb. 4, 2010 | National | H J Res 45 | Reinstating PAYGO Budget Rule | Motion Agreed - House (233 - 187) |
| Dec. 16, 2009 | National | HR 4314 | Increasing the National Public Debt Limit | Bill Passed - House (218 - 214) |
| Dec. 10, 2009 | National | HR 3288 | 2009-2010 Omnibus Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (221 - 202) |
| 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. 29, 2009 | National | HR 2996 | Continuing Appropriations Extension and 2009-2010 Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Related Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (247 - 178) |
| Oct. 7, 2009 | National | HR 2997 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 | Conference Report Adopted - House (263 - 162) |
| Sept. 25, 2009 | National | HR 2918 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (217 - 190) |
| Sept. 22, 2009 | National | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (331 - 83) |
| July 31, 2009 | National | HR 3435 | Supplemental Appropriations for the "Cash for Clunkers" Program | Bill Passed - House (316 - 109) |
| June 16, 2009 | National | HR 2346 | 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 202) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/24 | HB 1086 | 2011-2012 Supplemental Budget | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| 1/13 | HB 1 | Funding for Legislative Session | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| 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) |
| 10/07 | SB 870 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (57 - 13) |
| 9/30 | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 194) |
| 7/27 | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (308 - 114) |
| 7/22 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| 7/01 | HR 5618 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Bill Passed - House (270 - 153) |
| 7/01 | HR 4899 | Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (100 - 321) |
| 7/01 | HR 4899 | Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (239 - 182) |
| 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) |
| 2/09 | SB 1003 | Lottery Revenue Bond Authorization and State Building Lease-Purchase Agreements | Bill Passed - House (31 - 27) |
| 2/04 | H J Res 45 | Reinstating PAYGO Budget Rule | Motion Agreed - House (233 - 187) |
| 12/16 | HR 4314 | Increasing the National Public Debt Limit | Bill Passed - House (218 - 214) |
| 12/10 | HR 3288 | 2009-2010 Omnibus Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (221 - 202) |
| 11/05 | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12) |
| 10/29 | HR 2996 | Continuing Appropriations Extension and 2009-2010 Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Related Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (247 - 178) |
| 10/07 | HR 2997 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 | Conference Report Adopted - House (263 - 162) |
| 9/25 | HR 2918 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (217 - 190) |
| 9/22 | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (331 - 83) |
| 7/31 | HR 3435 | Supplemental Appropriations for the "Cash for Clunkers" Program | Bill Passed - House (316 - 109) |
| 6/16 | HR 2346 | 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 202) |