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, 2012 | National | HR 6684 | Spending Reduction Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (215 - 209) |
| Dec. 17, 2012 | NJ | S 581 | Establishes Tax Credits for Investors in Small Business Technology | Bill Passed - House (47 - 30) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 80) |
| Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| Sept. 22, 2012 | National | H J Res 117 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (62 - 30) |
| Sept. 13, 2012 | National | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 20) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 13, 2012 | CA | AB 1500 | Corporate Tax Rates and Middle Class Scholarship Fund | Bill Passed - House (54 - 25) |
| Aug. 2, 2012 | National | HR 6169 | Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 189) |
| Aug. 1, 2012 | National | HR 8 | Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 171) |
| July 31, 2012 | National | HR 828 | Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (263 - 114) |
| July 25, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2573 | Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| July 25, 2012 | National | S 3412 | Middle Class Tax Cut Act | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 48) |
| July 25, 2012 | National | HR 459 | Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (327 - 98) |
| July 19, 2012 | National | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| July 12, 2012 | National | S 2237 | Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
| July 6, 2012 | CA | SB 1029 | Authorizes the Sale of State Bonds for a High-Speed Rail | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| July 5, 2012 | CA | SB 1029 | Authorizes the Sale of State Bonds for a High-Speed Rail | Bill Passed - House (52 - 28) |
| July 2, 2012 | NC | HB 950 | 2012-2013 Budget Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 10) |
| July 2, 2012 | NC | HB 950 | 2012-2013 Budget Amendments | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 761 | Exempts Certain Transfers from the Realty Transfer Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (140 - 56) |
| June 29, 2012 | PA | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| June 28, 2012 | PA | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (120 - 81) |
| June 28, 2012 | NJ | A 3201 | Increases the Income Tax Rate on Incomes Over $1 million | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/20 | HR 6684 | Spending Reduction Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (215 - 209) |
| 12/17 | S 581 | Establishes Tax Credits for Investors in Small Business Technology | Bill Passed - House (47 - 30) |
| 10/17 | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 80) |
| 10/17 | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 9/22 | H J Res 117 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (62 - 30) |
| 9/13 | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| 8/30 | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 20) |
| 8/30 | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 8/13 | AB 1500 | Corporate Tax Rates and Middle Class Scholarship Fund | Bill Passed - House (54 - 25) |
| 8/02 | HR 6169 | Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 189) |
| 8/01 | HR 8 | Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 171) |
| 7/31 | HR 828 | Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (263 - 114) |
| 7/25 | S Amdt 2573 | Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| 7/25 | S 3412 | Middle Class Tax Cut Act | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 48) |
| 7/25 | HR 459 | Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (327 - 98) |
| 7/19 | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 7/12 | S 2237 | Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
| 7/06 | SB 1029 | Authorizes the Sale of State Bonds for a High-Speed Rail | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 7/05 | SB 1029 | Authorizes the Sale of State Bonds for a High-Speed Rail | Bill Passed - House (52 - 28) |
| 7/02 | HB 950 | 2012-2013 Budget Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 10) |
| 7/02 | HB 950 | 2012-2013 Budget Amendments | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| 6/30 | HB 761 | Exempts Certain Transfers from the Realty Transfer Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (140 - 56) |
| 6/29 | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 6/28 | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (120 - 81) |
| 6/28 | A 3201 | Increases the Income Tax Rate on Incomes Over $1 million | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |