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
March 7, 2016 UT SB 246 Authorizes Infrastructure Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
March 2, 2016 IL SB 2043 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
March 2, 2016 MS SB 2238 Prohibits the Appropriation of Funds to Planned Parenthood Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 17)
Feb. 26, 2016 WA SB 6246 2016-2017 Supplemental Budget Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22)
Feb. 25, 2016 AL SB 125 2016-2017 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
Feb. 16, 2016 WA SB 6195 Amends Education Funding System Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
Feb. 2, 2016 KY SB 7 Prohibits Appropriation of Local Funds for Certain Family Planning Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
Jan. 29, 2016 UT SB 39 Authorizes Medicaid Coverage for Adult Dental Services Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
Jan. 27, 2016 OH HB 294 Prohibits the Use of Public Funds for Certain Abortion Services Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
Jan. 20, 2016 WI AB 310 Prohibits a Public Entity from Distributing Certain Funds to Abortion Clinics Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
Jan. 20, 2016 National HR 4038 American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
Dec. 18, 2015 National HR 2029 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 33)
Dec. 3, 2015 National HR 3762 Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
Dec. 3, 2015 National HR 3762 Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
Nov. 5, 2015 National HR 2685 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44)
Nov. 3, 2015 AK SB 3001 Appropriates Funds for Liquid Natural Gas (AKLNG) Pipeline Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3)
Oct. 29, 2015 National HR 1314 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (64 - 35)
Oct. 21, 2015 OH SB 214 Amends Healthcare Funds Distribution Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
Oct. 7, 2015 National HR 1735 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 27)
Oct. 1, 2015 National HR 2029 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 44)
Sept. 30, 2015 National HR 719 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
Sept. 24, 2015 National S Amdt 2669 Rescinds Funds from Planned Parenthood Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 52)
Sept. 16, 2015 MO HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
Sept. 16, 2015 AL HB 1 2015-2016 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
Sept. 9, 2015 IL HB 1 Expands Heroin Abuse Treatment Programs Veto Override Passed - Senate (44 - 11)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/07 SB 246 Authorizes Infrastructure Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
3/02 SB 2043 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
3/02 SB 2238 Prohibits the Appropriation of Funds to Planned Parenthood Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 17)
2/26 SB 6246 2016-2017 Supplemental Budget Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22)
2/25 SB 125 2016-2017 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
2/16 SB 6195 Amends Education Funding System Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
2/02 SB 7 Prohibits Appropriation of Local Funds for Certain Family Planning Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
1/29 SB 39 Authorizes Medicaid Coverage for Adult Dental Services Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
1/27 HB 294 Prohibits the Use of Public Funds for Certain Abortion Services Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
1/20 AB 310 Prohibits a Public Entity from Distributing Certain Funds to Abortion Clinics Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
1/20 HR 4038 American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
12/18 HR 2029 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 33)
12/03 HR 3762 Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
12/03 HR 3762 Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
11/05 HR 2685 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44)
11/03 SB 3001 Appropriates Funds for Liquid Natural Gas (AKLNG) Pipeline Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3)
10/29 HR 1314 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (64 - 35)
10/21 SB 214 Amends Healthcare Funds Distribution Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
10/07 HR 1735 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 27)
10/01 HR 2029 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 44)
9/30 HR 719 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
9/24 S Amdt 2669 Rescinds Funds from Planned Parenthood Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 52)
9/16 HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
9/16 HB 1 2015-2016 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
9/09 HB 1 Expands Heroin Abuse Treatment Programs Veto Override Passed - Senate (44 - 11)

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