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, 2019 National S J Res 7 A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 46)
Feb. 28, 2019 National PN 22 Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency (52 - 47)
Feb. 27, 2019 National PN 22 Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
Feb. 14, 2019 National H J Res 31 Making further continuing appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 16)
Feb. 14, 2019 National PN 17 Nomination of William Pelham Barr to be Attorney General of the Department of Justice (54 - 45)
Feb. 12, 2019 National PN 17 Nomination of William Pelham Barr to be Attorney General of the Department of Justice Cloture Invoked - Senate (55 - 44)
Feb. 12, 2019 National S 47 Natural Resources Management Act Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 8)
Feb. 5, 2019 National S 1 Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 23)
Dec. 18, 2018 National S 756 First Step Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
Dec. 13, 2018 National S J Res 54 To Direct the Removal of United States Armed Forces from Hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been Authorized by Congress Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 41)
Dec. 12, 2018 National S J Res 64 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Treasury relating to "Returns by Exempt Organizations and Returns by Certain Non-Exempt Organizations" Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 49)
Dec. 11, 2018 National HR 2 Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 13)
Dec. 11, 2018 National PN 1803 Nomination of Justin George Muzinich to be Deputy Director of the Department of the Treasury (55 - 44)
Dec. 11, 2018 National PN 2117 Nomination of Jonathan A. Kobes to the Eighth Circuit Court (51 - 50)
Dec. 10, 2018 National PN 1803 Nomination of Justin George Muzinich to be Deputy Director of the Department of the Treasury Cloture Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
Dec. 6, 2018 National PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (50 - 49)
Nov. 29, 2018 National PN 2117 Nomination of Jonathan A. Kobes to the Eighth Circuit Court Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Nov. 29, 2018 National PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Oct. 6, 2018 National PN 2259 Nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States (50 - 48)
Oct. 5, 2018 National PN 2259 Nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States Cloture Invoked - Senate (51 - 49)
Sept. 18, 2018 National HR 6157 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 7)
Sept. 17, 2018 National HR 6 Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
Sept. 17, 2018 National S 2554 Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
Sept. 12, 2018 National HR 5895 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 5)
Aug. 23, 2018 National HR 6157 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/13 S J Res 7 A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 46)
2/28 PN 22 Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency (52 - 47)
2/27 PN 22 Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
2/14 H J Res 31 Making further continuing appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 16)
2/14 PN 17 Nomination of William Pelham Barr to be Attorney General of the Department of Justice (54 - 45)
2/12 PN 17 Nomination of William Pelham Barr to be Attorney General of the Department of Justice Cloture Invoked - Senate (55 - 44)
2/12 S 47 Natural Resources Management Act Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 8)
2/05 S 1 Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 23)
12/18 S 756 First Step Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
12/13 S J Res 54 To Direct the Removal of United States Armed Forces from Hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been Authorized by Congress Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 41)
12/12 S J Res 64 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Treasury relating to "Returns by Exempt Organizations and Returns by Certain Non-Exempt Organizations" Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 49)
12/11 HR 2 Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 13)
12/11 PN 1803 Nomination of Justin George Muzinich to be Deputy Director of the Department of the Treasury (55 - 44)
12/11 PN 2117 Nomination of Jonathan A. Kobes to the Eighth Circuit Court (51 - 50)
12/10 PN 1803 Nomination of Justin George Muzinich to be Deputy Director of the Department of the Treasury Cloture Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
12/06 PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (50 - 49)
11/29 PN 2117 Nomination of Jonathan A. Kobes to the Eighth Circuit Court Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
11/29 PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
10/06 PN 2259 Nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States (50 - 48)
10/05 PN 2259 Nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States Cloture Invoked - Senate (51 - 49)
9/18 HR 6157 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 7)
9/17 HR 6 Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
9/17 S 2554 Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
9/12 HR 5895 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 5)
8/23 HR 6157 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)

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