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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 26, 2011 | PA | SB 1 | Charter School Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | CT | SB 1401 | Establishes the Connecticut Bioscience Collaboration Program | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Oct. 18, 2011 | PA | SB 1151 | Fiscal Emergency Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| Oct. 11, 2011 | National | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| Oct. 6, 2011 | MO | SB 8 | Tax Credit Amendments | Bill Passed - House (98 - 48) |
| Oct. 4, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66) |
| Sept. 26, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | MO | SB 7 | Incentives for Science-Based Businesses | Bill Passed - House (94 - 48) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | National | S Amdt 655 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | MO | HA 1 to SB 7 | Prohibits Public Funding for Certain Life Science Research Projects | Amendment Rejected - House (68 - 74) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | National | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230) |
| Sept. 14, 2011 | National | H J Res 77 | Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186) |
| Sept. 14, 2011 | MO | SB 8 | Tax Credit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | MO | HB 6 | Appropriations for Missouri Disaster Relief | Bill Passed - House (127 - 22) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | ABX1 40 | State Tax Code Restructuring | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
| Aug. 24, 2011 | MI | SB 348 | 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| Aug. 24, 2011 | MI | SB 348 | 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims | Bill Passed - House (65 - 42) |
| Aug. 2, 2011 | National | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26) |
| Aug. 1, 2011 | National | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
| July 31, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| July 29, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Tabled - Senate (59 - 41) |
| July 29, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
| July 22, 2011 | National | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 46) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/26 | SB 1 | Charter School Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 10/26 | SB 1401 | Establishes the Connecticut Bioscience Collaboration Program | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 10/18 | SB 1151 | Fiscal Emergency Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| 10/11 | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 10/06 | SB 8 | Tax Credit Amendments | Bill Passed - House (98 - 48) |
| 10/04 | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66) |
| 9/26 | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12) |
| 9/23 | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
| 9/23 | SB 7 | Incentives for Science-Based Businesses | Bill Passed - House (94 - 48) |
| 9/23 | S Amdt 655 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36) |
| 9/23 | HA 1 to SB 7 | Prohibits Public Funding for Certain Life Science Research Projects | Amendment Rejected - House (68 - 74) |
| 9/23 | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
| 9/21 | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230) |
| 9/14 | H J Res 77 | Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186) |
| 9/14 | SB 8 | Tax Credit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 9/09 | HB 6 | Appropriations for Missouri Disaster Relief | Bill Passed - House (127 - 22) |
| 9/08 | ABX1 40 | State Tax Code Restructuring | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
| 8/24 | SB 348 | 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 8/24 | SB 348 | 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims | Bill Passed - House (65 - 42) |
| 8/02 | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 8/01 | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
| 7/31 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 7/29 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Tabled - Senate (59 - 41) |
| 7/29 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
| 7/22 | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 46) |