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
March 13, 2013 National S Amdt 30 To Prohibit the Use of Funds to Carry Out the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 52)
March 13, 2013 National HR 890 Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (246 - 181)
March 7, 2013 National PN 48 Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 34)
March 6, 2013 National HR 933 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - House (267 - 151)
Feb. 28, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (286 - 138)
Feb. 28, 2013 National H Amdt 23 Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act Amendment Rejected - House (166 - 257)
Feb. 26, 2013 National PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 41)
Feb. 26, 2013 National PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate (71 - 27)
Feb. 15, 2013 National HR 273 Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees Bill Passed - House (261 - 154)
Feb. 14, 2013 National PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 40)
Feb. 12, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
Jan. 31, 2013 National HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34)
Jan. 28, 2013 National HR 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
Jan. 23, 2013 National HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (285 - 144)
Jan. 15, 2013 National H Amdt 4 Offsets Cost of Disaster Relief Appropriations Through Discretionary Budget Cuts Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 258)
Jan. 15, 2013 National HR 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - House (241 - 180)
Jan. 1, 2013 National HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (257 - 167)
Jan. 1, 2013 National HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 8)
Jan. 1, 2013 National HR 6726 Congressional Pay Freeze and Fiscal Responsibility Act Bill Passed - House (287 - 129)
Dec. 28, 2012 National HR 5949 FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23)
Dec. 21, 2012 National HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14)
Dec. 20, 2012 National HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107)
Dec. 20, 2012 National HR 6684 Spending Reduction Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (215 - 209)
Dec. 4, 2012 National Treaty Doc. 112-7 The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Treaty Ratification Failed - Senate (61 - 38)
Nov. 30, 2012 National HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (245 - 139)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/13 S Amdt 30 To Prohibit the Use of Funds to Carry Out the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 52)
3/13 HR 890 Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (246 - 181)
3/07 PN 48 Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 34)
3/06 HR 933 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - House (267 - 151)
2/28 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (286 - 138)
2/28 H Amdt 23 Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act Amendment Rejected - House (166 - 257)
2/26 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 41)
2/26 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate (71 - 27)
2/15 HR 273 Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees Bill Passed - House (261 - 154)
2/14 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 40)
2/12 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
1/31 HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34)
1/28 HR 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
1/23 HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (285 - 144)
1/15 H Amdt 4 Offsets Cost of Disaster Relief Appropriations Through Discretionary Budget Cuts Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 258)
1/15 HR 152 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - House (241 - 180)
1/01 HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (257 - 167)
1/01 HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 8)
1/01 HR 6726 Congressional Pay Freeze and Fiscal Responsibility Act Bill Passed - House (287 - 129)
12/28 HR 5949 FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23)
12/21 HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14)
12/20 HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107)
12/20 HR 6684 Spending Reduction Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (215 - 209)
12/04 Treaty Doc. 112-7 The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Treaty Ratification Failed - Senate (61 - 38)
11/30 HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (245 - 139)

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