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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1274 | Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 59) |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | WI | SB 12 | Limits Attorney Fees in Consumer Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Oct. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 753 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for Prosecution of Enemy Combatants in Civilian Courts | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | National | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9) |
| June 21, 2011 | PA | SB 1131 | Tort Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| April 14, 2011 | GA | HB 24 | Amending Rules of Evidence | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 3) |
| April 5, 2011 | MD | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| March 2, 2011 | NC | SB 33 | Medical Malpractice Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | OK | SB 863 | Compensation for Non-Economic Damages | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | WY | HB 39 | Funding for Lawsuit Against Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 19) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | UT | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | VA | SB 831 | Amending the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 | National | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | SB 1113 | Income Tax Appeal Modifications | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| June 2, 2010 | CA | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal Life Without Parole Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 1, 2010 | CA | SB 1168 | Grand Juries for Misdemeanors in the County of Los Angeles | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Oct. 6, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | National | PN 958 | Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40) |
| June 11, 2007 | National | S J Res 14 | Attorney General No Confidence Vote | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38) |
| March 20, 2007 | National | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5087 | Habeas Review Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0) |
| Nov. 15, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2523 | Judicial Review of Detainees Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/01 | S Amdt 1274 | Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 59) |
| 10/27 | SB 12 | Limits Attorney Fees in Consumer Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 10/21 | S Amdt 753 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for Prosecution of Enemy Combatants in Civilian Courts | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| 9/08 | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9) |
| 6/21 | SB 1131 | Tort Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 4/14 | HB 24 | Amending Rules of Evidence | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 3) |
| 4/05 | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| 3/02 | SB 33 | Medical Malpractice Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| 2/23 | SB 863 | Compensation for Non-Economic Damages | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 2/22 | HB 39 | Funding for Lawsuit Against Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 19) |
| 2/22 | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
| 2/03 | SB 831 | Amending the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 11/17 | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 6/03 | SB 1113 | Income Tax Appeal Modifications | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| 6/02 | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal Life Without Parole Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 6/01 | SB 1168 | Grand Juries for Misdemeanors in the County of Los Angeles | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 10/06 | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 11/08 | PN 958 | Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40) |
| 6/11 | S J Res 14 | Attorney General No Confidence Vote | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38) |
| 3/20 | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2) |
| 9/28 | S Amdt 5087 | Habeas Review Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 9/28 | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| 12/21 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44) |
| 12/21 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0) |
| 11/15 | S Amdt 2523 | Judicial Review of Detainees Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |