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 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)

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