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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
July 1, 2010 National H Res 1500 Deeming Supplemental Military Appropriations Passed and Allowing Divided Question Bill Passed - House (215 - 210)
July 1, 2010 National HR 4899 Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (239 - 182)
June 30, 2010 National HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - House (237 - 192)
June 24, 2010 National HR 5175 Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements Bill Passed - House (219 - 206)
June 17, 2010 National HR 5297 Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (241 - 182)
June 10, 2010 National H Amdt 686 Limiting Federal Housing Administration Mortgage Issuance Amendment Rejected - House (106 - 316)
June 10, 2010 National S J Res 26 Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
June 10, 2010 National H Amdt 684 Increasing Minimum Down Payment for Federal Housing Administration Mortgages Amendment Rejected - House (131 - 289)
June 10, 2010 National H Amdt 688 Limiting Principal Obligation Amounts of Federal Housing Administration Mortgages Amendment Rejected - House (121 - 301)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
May 28, 2010 National HR 5136 2010-2011 Defense Appropriation Authorizations Bill Passed - House (229 - 186)
May 28, 2010 National HR 5116 Science and Technology Funding Bill Passed - House (262 - 150)
May 28, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204)
May 27, 2010 National H Amdt 672 Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" After Military Review and Certification Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 194)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4204 Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80)
May 27, 2010 National H Amdt 661 Removing Funding for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's Alternate Engine Program Amendment Rejected - House (193 - 231)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
May 27, 2010 National HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
May 20, 2010 National HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
May 19, 2010 National S Amdt 3746 Allowing States to Limit Credit Card Interest Rates Amendment Rejected - Senate (35 - 60)
May 19, 2010 National HR 5325 Science and Technology Funding Bill Failed - House (261 - 148)
May 18, 2010 National S Amdt 4114 Credit Default Swap Regulations Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 38)
May 18, 2010 National S Amdt 4034 Federal Preemption Over State Consumer Financial Laws Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
May 18, 2010 National S Amdt 4072 Inspector General Appointment Modification Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 21)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/01 H Res 1500 Deeming Supplemental Military Appropriations Passed and Allowing Divided Question Bill Passed - House (215 - 210)
7/01 HR 4899 Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (239 - 182)
6/30 HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - House (237 - 192)
6/24 HR 5175 Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements Bill Passed - House (219 - 206)
6/17 HR 5297 Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (241 - 182)
6/10 H Amdt 686 Limiting Federal Housing Administration Mortgage Issuance Amendment Rejected - House (106 - 316)
6/10 S J Res 26 Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
6/10 H Amdt 684 Increasing Minimum Down Payment for Federal Housing Administration Mortgages Amendment Rejected - House (131 - 289)
6/10 H Amdt 688 Limiting Principal Obligation Amounts of Federal Housing Administration Mortgages Amendment Rejected - House (121 - 301)
6/09 S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
6/09 S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
5/28 HR 5136 2010-2011 Defense Appropriation Authorizations Bill Passed - House (229 - 186)
5/28 HR 5116 Science and Technology Funding Bill Passed - House (262 - 150)
5/28 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204)
5/27 H Amdt 672 Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" After Military Review and Certification Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 194)
5/27 S Amdt 4204 Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80)
5/27 H Amdt 661 Removing Funding for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's Alternate Engine Program Amendment Rejected - House (193 - 231)
5/27 S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
5/27 HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
5/20 HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
5/19 S Amdt 3746 Allowing States to Limit Credit Card Interest Rates Amendment Rejected - Senate (35 - 60)
5/19 HR 5325 Science and Technology Funding Bill Failed - House (261 - 148)
5/18 S Amdt 4114 Credit Default Swap Regulations Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 38)
5/18 S Amdt 4034 Federal Preemption Over State Consumer Financial Laws Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
5/18 S Amdt 4072 Inspector General Appointment Modification Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 21)

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