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
Jan. 25, 2025 National PN 11-1 Nomination of Scott Bessent to be Secretary of the Treasury Cloture Invoked - Senate (67 - 23)
Jan. 24, 2025 National PN 11-7 Nomination of Peter Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 50)
Jan. 24, 2025 National PN 11-11 Nomination of Kristi Noem to be Secretary of Homeland Security Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 39)
Jan. 23, 2025 National PN 11-19 Nomination of John Ratcliffe to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (74 - 25)
Jan. 23, 2025 National PN 11-19 Nomination of John Ratcliffe to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Cloture Invoked - Senate (72 - 26)
Jan. 23, 2025 National PN 11-7 Nomination of Peter Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate (51 - 49)
Jan. 22, 2025 National S 6 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
Jan. 21, 2025 National PN 11-7 Nomination of Peter Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense Motion Agreed - Senate (53 - 47)
Jan. 21, 2025 National PN 11-19 Nomination of John Ratcliffe to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
Jan. 20, 2025 National S 5 Laken Riley Act Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 35)
Jan. 20, 2025 National PN 11-13 Nomination of Marco Rubio to be Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (99 - 0)
Jan. 17, 2025 National S 5 Laken Riley Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 35)
Jan. 13, 2025 National S 5 Laken Riley Act Motion Agreed - Senate (82 - 10)
Jan. 8, 2025 National S 5 Laken Riley Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (84 - 9)
Dec. 21, 2024 National HR 82 Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 20)
Dec. 21, 2024 National HR 10545 American Relief Act, 2025 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 11)
Dec. 19, 2024 National HR 82 Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 Motion Agreed - Senate (73 - 23)
Dec. 18, 2024 National HR 5009 Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver (WILD) Reauthorization Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
Dec. 18, 2024 National S 4367 Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (97 - 1)
Dec. 18, 2024 National HR 82 Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 Cloture Invoked - Senate (73 - 27)
Dec. 16, 2024 National HR 5009 Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver (WILD) Reauthorization Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (83 - 12)
Dec. 12, 2024 National PN 1980 Nomination of Matthew James Marzano, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the term of five years expiring June 30, 2028 Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 45)
Dec. 11, 2024 National PN 1789 Nomination of Lauren McGarity McFerran, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board for the term of five years expiring December 16, 2029 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 50)
Nov. 13, 2024 National PN 923 Nomination of David Huitema to be Director of the Office of Government Ethics Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 46)
Sept. 25, 2024 National HR 9747 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/25 PN 11-1 Nomination of Scott Bessent to be Secretary of the Treasury Cloture Invoked - Senate (67 - 23)
1/24 PN 11-7 Nomination of Peter Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 50)
1/24 PN 11-11 Nomination of Kristi Noem to be Secretary of Homeland Security Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 39)
1/23 PN 11-19 Nomination of John Ratcliffe to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (74 - 25)
1/23 PN 11-19 Nomination of John Ratcliffe to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Cloture Invoked - Senate (72 - 26)
1/23 PN 11-7 Nomination of Peter Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate (51 - 49)
1/22 S 6 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
1/21 PN 11-7 Nomination of Peter Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense Motion Agreed - Senate (53 - 47)
1/21 PN 11-19 Nomination of John Ratcliffe to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
1/20 S 5 Laken Riley Act Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 35)
1/20 PN 11-13 Nomination of Marco Rubio to be Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (99 - 0)
1/17 S 5 Laken Riley Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 35)
1/13 S 5 Laken Riley Act Motion Agreed - Senate (82 - 10)
1/08 S 5 Laken Riley Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (84 - 9)
12/21 HR 82 Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 20)
12/21 HR 10545 American Relief Act, 2025 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 11)
12/19 HR 82 Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 Motion Agreed - Senate (73 - 23)
12/18 HR 5009 Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver (WILD) Reauthorization Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
12/18 S 4367 Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (97 - 1)
12/18 HR 82 Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 Cloture Invoked - Senate (73 - 27)
12/16 HR 5009 Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver (WILD) Reauthorization Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (83 - 12)
12/12 PN 1980 Nomination of Matthew James Marzano, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the term of five years expiring June 30, 2028 Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 45)
12/11 PN 1789 Nomination of Lauren McGarity McFerran, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board for the term of five years expiring December 16, 2029 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 50)
11/13 PN 923 Nomination of David Huitema to be Director of the Office of Government Ethics Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 46)
9/25 HR 9747 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18)

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