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.


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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)

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