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
Feb. 16, 2012 National HR 3408 Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources Bill Passed - House (237 - 187)
Feb. 9, 2012 National S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - House (417 - 2)
Feb. 8, 2012 National HR 3521 Authorizes the President to Line-Item Veto Certain Legislation Bill Passed - House (254 - 173)
Feb. 3, 2012 National HR 658 Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (248 - 169)
Feb. 3, 2012 National HR 3578 Amends Budget Baseline Bill Passed - House (235 - 177)
Feb. 1, 2012 National HR 3835 Extends Pay Freeze for Congress and Non-Military Federal Workers Bill Passed - House (309 - 117)
Feb. 1, 2012 National HR 1173 Repeals the CLASS Act Bill Passed - House (267 - 159)
Jan. 18, 2012 National H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176)
Dec. 20, 2011 National HR 3630 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193)
Dec. 16, 2011 National HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (296 - 121)
Dec. 14, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
Dec. 13, 2011 National HR 3630 Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (234 - 193)
Dec. 8, 2011 National HR 1633 Limits Regulation of Farm Dust Bill Passed - House (268 - 150)
Dec. 7, 2011 National HR 10 Congressional Approval of Regulations Bill Passed - House (241 - 184)
Dec. 2, 2011 National HR 3010 Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies Bill Passed - House (253 - 167)
Dec. 1, 2011 National HR 527 Increases Requirements for Agencies that Promulgate Regulations Affecting Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (263 - 159)
Dec. 1, 2011 National HR 3463 Repeals Taxpayer Financing of Presidential Election Campaigns Bill Passed - House (235 - 190)
Nov. 30, 2011 National HR 3094 Labor Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (235 - 188)
Nov. 29, 2011 National HR 3012 Repeals Certain Green Cards Limitations Bill Passed - House (389 - 15)
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. 17, 2011 National HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121)
Nov. 16, 2011 National HR 822 Requiring State Reciprocity for Carrying Concealed Firearms Bill Passed - House (272 - 154)
Nov. 3, 2011 National H Amdt 853 Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234)
Nov. 3, 2011 National H Amdt 849 Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234)
Nov. 3, 2011 National HR 2930 Authorizes Crowdfunding for Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (407 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/16 HR 3408 Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources Bill Passed - House (237 - 187)
2/09 S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - House (417 - 2)
2/08 HR 3521 Authorizes the President to Line-Item Veto Certain Legislation Bill Passed - House (254 - 173)
2/03 HR 658 Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (248 - 169)
2/03 HR 3578 Amends Budget Baseline Bill Passed - House (235 - 177)
2/01 HR 3835 Extends Pay Freeze for Congress and Non-Military Federal Workers Bill Passed - House (309 - 117)
2/01 HR 1173 Repeals the CLASS Act Bill Passed - House (267 - 159)
1/18 H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176)
12/20 HR 3630 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193)
12/16 HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (296 - 121)
12/14 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
12/13 HR 3630 Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (234 - 193)
12/08 HR 1633 Limits Regulation of Farm Dust Bill Passed - House (268 - 150)
12/07 HR 10 Congressional Approval of Regulations Bill Passed - House (241 - 184)
12/02 HR 3010 Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies Bill Passed - House (253 - 167)
12/01 HR 527 Increases Requirements for Agencies that Promulgate Regulations Affecting Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (263 - 159)
12/01 HR 3463 Repeals Taxpayer Financing of Presidential Election Campaigns Bill Passed - House (235 - 190)
11/30 HR 3094 Labor Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (235 - 188)
11/29 HR 3012 Repeals Certain Green Cards Limitations Bill Passed - House (389 - 15)
11/18 H J Res 2 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165)
11/17 HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121)
11/16 HR 822 Requiring State Reciprocity for Carrying Concealed Firearms Bill Passed - House (272 - 154)
11/03 H Amdt 853 Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234)
11/03 H Amdt 849 Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234)
11/03 HR 2930 Authorizes Crowdfunding for Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (407 - 17)

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