Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
Sept. 29, 2010 National HR 3081 Continuing Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30)
Sept. 29, 2010 National S Amdt 4676 Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
Sept. 28, 2010 National S 3816 Tax Law Amendments Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
Sept. 23, 2010 National S 3628 Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (59 - 39)
Sept. 21, 2010 National S 3454 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
Sept. 16, 2010 National HR 5297 Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38)
Sept. 14, 2010 National S Amdt 4596 Repealing Business Transaction Reporting Requirements Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 52)
Sept. 14, 2010 National S Amdt 4595 Business Transaction Reporting Requirement Amendments Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
Aug. 5, 2010 National HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (61 - 39)
Aug. 5, 2010 National PN 1768 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
July 29, 2010 National S Amdt 4519 Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
July 27, 2010 National S 3628 Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41)
July 21, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
July 20, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
July 15, 2010 National HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 39)
June 10, 2010 National S J Res 26 Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4204 Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
May 27, 2010 National HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
May 20, 2010 National HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
May 19, 2010 National S Amdt 3746 Allowing States to Limit Credit Card Interest Rates Amendment Rejected - Senate (35 - 60)
May 18, 2010 National S Amdt 4114 Credit Default Swap Regulations Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 38)
May 18, 2010 National S Amdt 4034 Federal Preemption Over State Consumer Financial Laws Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/29 HR 3081 Continuing Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30)
9/29 S Amdt 4676 Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
9/28 S 3816 Tax Law Amendments Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
9/23 S 3628 Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (59 - 39)
9/21 S 3454 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
9/16 HR 5297 Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38)
9/14 S Amdt 4596 Repealing Business Transaction Reporting Requirements Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 52)
9/14 S Amdt 4595 Business Transaction Reporting Requirement Amendments Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
8/05 HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (61 - 39)
8/05 PN 1768 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
7/29 S Amdt 4519 Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
7/27 S 3628 Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41)
7/21 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
7/20 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
7/15 HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 39)
6/10 S J Res 26 Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
6/09 S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
6/09 S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
5/27 S Amdt 4204 Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80)
5/27 S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
5/27 HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
5/20 HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
5/19 S Amdt 3746 Allowing States to Limit Credit Card Interest Rates Amendment Rejected - Senate (35 - 60)
5/18 S Amdt 4114 Credit Default Swap Regulations Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 38)
5/18 S Amdt 4034 Federal Preemption Over State Consumer Financial Laws Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)

arrow_upward