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
April 8, 2011 MD HB 302 Parole Approval Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65)
March 8, 2011 MD HB 302 Parole Approval Bill Passed - House (74 - 66)
March 2, 2011 WV HB 2732 Increased Fees for Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (65 - 35)
Feb. 28, 2011 GA HB 24 Amending Rules of Evidence Bill Passed - House (162 - 5)
Feb. 17, 2011 SD HB 1171 Fetus Protection Bill Bill Tabled - House (61 - 4)
Feb. 7, 2011 WY HB 198 Admissibility of Evidence in Sex Offense Cases Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
Dec. 17, 2010 National HR 5510 Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act Bill Failed - House (210 - 145)
Nov. 17, 2010 National HR 3808 Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235)
Aug. 24, 2010 CA SB 399 Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole Bill Failed - House (34 - 38)
July 30, 2010 National HR 5851 "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers Bill Passed - House (315 - 93)
July 21, 2010 National HR 725 Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92)
April 8, 2010 AZ HB 2650 Authorizing Extension of Divorce Waiting Period Bill Failed - House (27 - 28)
Nov. 7, 2009 National H Amdt 510 Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258)
May 20, 2008 National HR 6074 Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil Bill Passed - House (324 - 84)
Oct. 16, 2007 National HR 2102 Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines Bill Passed - House (398 - 21)
Oct. 4, 2007 National HR 2740 Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (389 - 30)
May 22, 2007 National S 214 United States Attorneys Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (306 - 114)
May 22, 2007 National HR 2264 Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups Bill Passed - House (345 - 72)
Sept. 29, 2006 National S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (250 - 170)
Sept. 29, 2006 National HR 4772 Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (231 - 181)
Sept. 27, 2006 National HR 6166 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (253 - 168)
Sept. 26, 2006 National HR 2679 Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (244 - 173)
Sept. 26, 2006 National HR 4772 Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2005 Bill Failed - House (234 - 172)
Sept. 21, 2006 National HR 6095 Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (277 - 140)
March 7, 2006 National S 2271 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill Bill Passed - House (280 - 138)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/08 HB 302 Parole Approval Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65)
3/08 HB 302 Parole Approval Bill Passed - House (74 - 66)
3/02 HB 2732 Increased Fees for Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (65 - 35)
2/28 HB 24 Amending Rules of Evidence Bill Passed - House (162 - 5)
2/17 HB 1171 Fetus Protection Bill Bill Tabled - House (61 - 4)
2/07 HB 198 Admissibility of Evidence in Sex Offense Cases Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
12/17 HR 5510 Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act Bill Failed - House (210 - 145)
11/17 HR 3808 Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235)
8/24 SB 399 Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole Bill Failed - House (34 - 38)
7/30 HR 5851 "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers Bill Passed - House (315 - 93)
7/21 HR 725 Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92)
4/08 HB 2650 Authorizing Extension of Divorce Waiting Period Bill Failed - House (27 - 28)
11/07 H Amdt 510 Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258)
5/20 HR 6074 Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil Bill Passed - House (324 - 84)
10/16 HR 2102 Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines Bill Passed - House (398 - 21)
10/04 HR 2740 Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (389 - 30)
5/22 S 214 United States Attorneys Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (306 - 114)
5/22 HR 2264 Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups Bill Passed - House (345 - 72)
9/29 S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (250 - 170)
9/29 HR 4772 Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (231 - 181)
9/27 HR 6166 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (253 - 168)
9/26 HR 2679 Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (244 - 173)
9/26 HR 4772 Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2005 Bill Failed - House (234 - 172)
9/21 HR 6095 Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (277 - 140)
3/07 S 2271 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill Bill Passed - House (280 - 138)

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