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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1228 | Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry | Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58) |
| May 6, 2013 | National | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27) |
| April 25, 2013 | National | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (63 - 30) |
| April 18, 2013 | National | HR 624 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (288 - 127) |
| Dec. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
| Nov. 30, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
| Nov. 30, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
| Nov. 14, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Sept. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
| Sept. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
| Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| Aug. 2, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
| June 21, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2372 | Prohibits the EPA from Conducting Aerial Surveillance of Agricultural Operations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 43) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S J Res 6 | Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 853 | Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors | Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234) |
| April 8, 2011 | National | H J Res 37 | Disapproving FCC Rules Concerning Internet Providers | Joint Resolution Passed - House (240 - 179) |
| Nov. 18, 2010 | National | HR 1722 | Telework Policies and Regulations for Federal Agencies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (254 - 152) |
| May 28, 2010 | National | HR 5116 | Science and Technology Funding | Bill Passed - House (262 - 150) |
| May 28, 2010 | National | HR 5116 | Science and Technology Funding | Bill Passed - House (262 - 150) |
| May 19, 2010 | National | HR 5325 | Science and Technology Funding | Bill Failed - House (261 - 148) |
| May 19, 2010 | National | HR 5325 | Science and Technology Funding | Bill Failed - House (261 - 148) |
| May 6, 2010 | National | HR 1722 | Telework Policies and Regulations for Federal Agencies | Bill Failed - House (268 - 147) |
| July 9, 2008 | National | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
| July 9, 2008 | National | HR 5811 | Electronic Communications Preservation Act | Bill Passed - House (286 - 137) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/18 | S Amdt 1228 | Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry | Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58) |
| 5/06 | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27) |
| 4/25 | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (63 - 30) |
| 4/18 | HR 624 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (288 - 127) |
| 12/28 | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
| 11/30 | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
| 11/30 | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
| 11/14 | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 9/20 | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
| 9/20 | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
| 9/12 | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| 8/02 | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
| 6/21 | S Amdt 2372 | Prohibits the EPA from Conducting Aerial Surveillance of Agricultural Operations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 4/26 | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| 11/10 | S J Res 6 | Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 11/03 | H Amdt 853 | Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors | Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234) |
| 4/08 | H J Res 37 | Disapproving FCC Rules Concerning Internet Providers | Joint Resolution Passed - House (240 - 179) |
| 11/18 | HR 1722 | Telework Policies and Regulations for Federal Agencies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (254 - 152) |
| 5/28 | HR 5116 | Science and Technology Funding | Bill Passed - House (262 - 150) |
| 5/28 | HR 5116 | Science and Technology Funding | Bill Passed - House (262 - 150) |
| 5/19 | HR 5325 | Science and Technology Funding | Bill Failed - House (261 - 148) |
| 5/19 | HR 5325 | Science and Technology Funding | Bill Failed - House (261 - 148) |
| 5/06 | HR 1722 | Telework Policies and Regulations for Federal Agencies | Bill Failed - House (268 - 147) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
| 7/09 | HR 5811 | Electronic Communications Preservation Act | Bill Passed - House (286 - 137) |