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 17, 2011 National H J Res 48 Additional Continuing Appropriations Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (87 - 13)
March 9, 2011 National HR 1 Continuing Appropriations Bill Failed - Senate (44 - 56)
March 9, 2011 National S Amdt 149 Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58)
March 2, 2011 National H J Res 44 Continuing Appropriations Amendments Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (91 - 9)
March 2, 2011 National S Amdt 115 Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40)
March 1, 2011 National S Amdt 112 Prioritizing Payment of Public Debt Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47)
Feb. 15, 2011 National HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
Feb. 15, 2011 National S Amdt 21 Reducing Federal Aviation Administration Appropriations Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 47)
Feb. 15, 2011 National S Amdt 14 Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
Feb. 2, 2011 National S Amdt 28 Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Law Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
Feb. 2, 2011 National S Amdt 9 Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Motion Agreed - Senate (81 - 17)
Feb. 2, 2011 National S Amdt 13 Repealing the Federal Health Care Law Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
Dec. 22, 2010 National Treaty Doc. 111-5 Treaty with Russia to Reduce and Limit Offensive Arms Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (71 - 26)
Dec. 21, 2010 National HR 3082 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16)
Dec. 18, 2010 National HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
Dec. 15, 2010 National HR 4853 Temporary Extension of Tax Relief Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (81 - 19)
Dec. 9, 2010 National HR 847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
Dec. 8, 2010 National S 3985 Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
Dec. 8, 2010 National S 3991 Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
Dec. 4, 2010 National S Amdt 4727 Extension of Tax Cuts for Those Making Under $250,000 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 36)
Dec. 4, 2010 National S Amdt 4728 Extension of Tax Cuts for Those Making Under $1 Million Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 37)
Nov. 30, 2010 National S Amdt 4697 Prohibiting Earmarks Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56)
Nov. 30, 2010 National S 510 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 25)
Nov. 17, 2010 National S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
Sept. 29, 2010 National S J Res 39 Disapproving Rule for "Grandfathered Health Plans" Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/17 H J Res 48 Additional Continuing Appropriations Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (87 - 13)
3/09 HR 1 Continuing Appropriations Bill Failed - Senate (44 - 56)
3/09 S Amdt 149 Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58)
3/02 H J Res 44 Continuing Appropriations Amendments Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (91 - 9)
3/02 S Amdt 115 Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40)
3/01 S Amdt 112 Prioritizing Payment of Public Debt Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47)
2/15 HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
2/15 S Amdt 21 Reducing Federal Aviation Administration Appropriations Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 47)
2/15 S Amdt 14 Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
2/02 S Amdt 28 Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Law Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
2/02 S Amdt 9 Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Motion Agreed - Senate (81 - 17)
2/02 S Amdt 13 Repealing the Federal Health Care Law Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
12/22 Treaty Doc. 111-5 Treaty with Russia to Reduce and Limit Offensive Arms Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (71 - 26)
12/21 HR 3082 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16)
12/18 HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
12/15 HR 4853 Temporary Extension of Tax Relief Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (81 - 19)
12/09 HR 847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
12/08 S 3985 Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
12/08 S 3991 Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
12/04 S Amdt 4727 Extension of Tax Cuts for Those Making Under $250,000 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 36)
12/04 S Amdt 4728 Extension of Tax Cuts for Those Making Under $1 Million Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 37)
11/30 S Amdt 4697 Prohibiting Earmarks Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56)
11/30 S 510 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 25)
11/17 S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
9/29 S J Res 39 Disapproving Rule for "Grandfathered Health Plans" Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)

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