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. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| Dec. 18, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| Dec. 18, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| Dec. 13, 2010 | NJ | S 1 | Low-Income Housing Amendments and Abolishing the Council on Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - House (43 - 32) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5281 | DREAM Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3991 | Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
| Dec. 2, 2010 | National | H Res 1737 | Censure for Representative Charles Rangel | Resolution Passed - House (333 - 79) |
| Dec. 1, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| Nov. 18, 2010 | National | HR 6419 | Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits | Bill Failed - House (258 - 154) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 | National | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31) |
| Oct. 14, 2010 | PA | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| Oct. 14, 2010 | PA | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | MI | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 12/18 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| 12/18 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| 12/15 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| 12/15 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| 12/13 | S 1 | Low-Income Housing Amendments and Abolishing the Council on Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - House (43 - 32) |
| 12/08 | HR 5281 | DREAM Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198) |
| 12/08 | S 3991 | Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43) |
| 12/08 | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 12/08 | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
| 12/08 | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
| 12/02 | H Res 1737 | Censure for Representative Charles Rangel | Resolution Passed - House (333 - 79) |
| 12/01 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| 11/30 | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| 11/30 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| 11/18 | HR 6419 | Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits | Bill Failed - House (258 - 154) |
| 11/17 | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 11/15 | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31) |
| 11/15 | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31) |
| 10/14 | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| 10/14 | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| 9/23 | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |