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. 20, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
| Dec. 17, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | IL | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | IL | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | IL | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Bill Passed - House (67 - 49) |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | IL | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Bill Passed - House (81 - 28) |
| Dec. 7, 2011 | National | HR 10 | Congressional Approval of Regulations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 184) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Nov. 30, 2011 | NH | CACR 14 | Constitutional Amendment Authorizing the Legislature to Set Standards for Public Education | Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 264) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | NC | HB 645 | Temporary Fuel Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (94 - 23) |
| Nov. 18, 2011 | National | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
| Nov. 14, 2011 | PA | HB 1503 | Angel Investment Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (151 - 44) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | S 1769 | Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations and Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | National | HR 2576 | Requires Inclusion of Social Security Benefits in Calculation of Modified Adjusted Gross Income | Bill Passed - House (262 - 157) |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | WI | SB 23 | Amends Tax Enforcement System | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | CT | SB 1401 | Establishes the Connecticut Bioscience Collaboration Program | Bill Passed - House (101 - 41) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/20 | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
| 12/17 | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
| 12/14 | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 12/14 | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 12/14 | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
| 12/14 | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
| 12/13 | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| 12/13 | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
| 12/13 | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
| 12/12 | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Bill Passed - House (67 - 49) |
| 12/12 | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Bill Passed - House (81 - 28) |
| 12/07 | HR 10 | Congressional Approval of Regulations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 184) |
| 12/01 | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| 12/01 | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 11/30 | CACR 14 | Constitutional Amendment Authorizing the Legislature to Set Standards for Public Education | Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 264) |
| 11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| 11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| 11/29 | HB 645 | Temporary Fuel Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (94 - 23) |
| 11/18 | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
| 11/14 | HB 1503 | Angel Investment Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (151 - 44) |
| 11/10 | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| 11/03 | S 1769 | Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations and Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 10/27 | HR 2576 | Requires Inclusion of Social Security Benefits in Calculation of Modified Adjusted Gross Income | Bill Passed - House (262 - 157) |
| 10/27 | SB 23 | Amends Tax Enforcement System | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 10/26 | SB 1401 | Establishes the Connecticut Bioscience Collaboration Program | Bill Passed - House (101 - 41) |