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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 9, 2011 | NC | SB 13 | 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| March 9, 2011 | National | HR 1 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Failed - Senate (44 - 56) |
| March 9, 2011 | National | S Amdt 149 | Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58) |
| March 3, 2011 | NJ | S 1216 | Loans for Women and Minority-Owned Businesses | Veto Override Failed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| March 2, 2011 | National | H J Res 44 | Continuing Appropriations Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| March 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 115 | Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40) |
| March 2, 2011 | AZ | SB 1231 | State Spending Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| March 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 112 | Prioritizing Payment of Public Debt | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47) |
| March 1, 2011 | SC | S 434 | Prohibiting DHHS From Reducing Provider Rates | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | TX | SJR 1 | Urging Congress to Propose a Balanced Budget Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| Feb. 21, 2011 | VA | SB 1446 | Transportation Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (1 - 38) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | VA | HB 2527 | Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Fund and Bank | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | KS | HB 2014 | 2011-2012 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Feb. 7, 2011 | NC | SB 13 | 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | MN | HF 130 | 2010-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| Jan. 31, 2011 | NY | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| Jan. 28, 2011 | WY | HB 244 | Unemployment Insurance Amendments | |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1892 | Limiting State Spending | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| Sept. 29, 2010 | National | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| Sept. 29, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4676 | Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| July 21, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/09 | SB 13 | 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 3/09 | HR 1 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Failed - Senate (44 - 56) |
| 3/09 | S Amdt 149 | Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58) |
| 3/03 | S 1216 | Loans for Women and Minority-Owned Businesses | Veto Override Failed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| 3/02 | H J Res 44 | Continuing Appropriations Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| 3/02 | S Amdt 115 | Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 3/02 | SB 1231 | State Spending Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 3/01 | S Amdt 112 | Prioritizing Payment of Public Debt | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 3/01 | S 434 | Prohibiting DHHS From Reducing Provider Rates | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 2/24 | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/23 | SJR 1 | Urging Congress to Propose a Balanced Budget Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 2/21 | SB 1446 | Transportation Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (1 - 38) |
| 2/17 | HB 2527 | Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Fund and Bank | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 2/15 | HB 2014 | 2011-2012 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 2/07 | SB 13 | 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 2/03 | HF 130 | 2010-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| 1/31 | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| 1/28 | HB 244 | Unemployment Insurance Amendments | |
| 1/19 | S 1892 | Limiting State Spending | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 12/08 | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 11/30 | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| 9/29 | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 9/29 | S Amdt 4676 | Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 7/21 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |