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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 27, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | National | HR 325 | No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| Sept. 22, 2012 | National | H J Res 117 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (62 - 30) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| Jan. 26, 2012 | National | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| June 23, 2011 | National | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| Jan. 26, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
| Sept. 30, 2009 | National | HR 2918 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 38) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | National | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4347 | Earmark Moratorium | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
| Sept. 18, 2007 | National | S 1257 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
| Aug. 2, 2007 | National | S 1 | Lobbying and Donation Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| Oct. 18, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2062 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6) |
| Sept. 15, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
| Sept. 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4) |
| Sept. 21, 2004 | National | HR 4755 | Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2) |
| Oct. 23, 2003 | National | S Amdt 1904 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34) |
| July 11, 2003 | National | HR 2657 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7) |
| July 25, 2002 | National | HR 5121 | Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| June 16, 1999 | National | HR 1905 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 4) |
| July 21, 1998 | National | HR 4112 | Legislative Branch FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9) |
| June 25, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2981 | Military Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/27 | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 1/31 | HR 325 | No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| 9/22 | H J Res 117 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (62 - 30) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| 2/02 | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| 1/26 | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| 6/23 | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| 11/30 | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| 1/26 | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 9/30 | HR 2918 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 38) |
| 2/26 | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4347 | Earmark Moratorium | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
| 9/18 | S 1257 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 8/02 | S 1 | Lobbying and Donation Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| 10/18 | S Amdt 2062 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6) |
| 9/15 | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
| 9/14 | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 7/29 | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4) |
| 9/21 | HR 4755 | Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2) |
| 10/23 | S Amdt 1904 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34) |
| 7/11 | HR 2657 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7) |
| 7/25 | HR 5121 | Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| 6/16 | HR 1905 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 4) |
| 7/21 | HR 4112 | Legislative Branch FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9) |
| 6/25 | S Amdt 2981 | Military Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |