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
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)

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