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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2021 | National | HR 3233 | National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act | Bill Passed - House (252 - 175) |
| May 18, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - House (364 - 62) |
| May 18, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - House (364 - 62) |
| April 22, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 1) |
| April 22, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 1) |
| April 21, 2021 | National | PN 79-4 | Nomination of Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| April 21, 2021 | National | HR 1573 | Access to Counsel Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (217 - 207) |
| March 17, 2021 | National | HR 1620 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 172) |
| March 17, 2021 | National | H J Res 17 | Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (222 - 204) |
| March 11, 2021 | National | HR 1446 | Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (219 - 210) |
| March 11, 2021 | National | HR 8 | Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (227 - 203) |
| March 10, 2021 | National | HR 1319 | American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| March 10, 2021 | National | PN 78-7 | Nomination of Merrick Garland as Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
| March 6, 2021 | National | HR 1319 | American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 49) |
| March 3, 2021 | National | HR 1280 | George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 212) |
| March 3, 2021 | National | HR 1 | For the People Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 210) |
| March 3, 2021 | National | HR 1280 | George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 212) |
| Feb. 27, 2021 | National | HR 1319 | American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (219 - 212) |
| Feb. 25, 2021 | National | HR 5 | Equality Act | Bill Passed - House (224 - 206) |
| Feb. 2, 2021 | National | PN 78-13 | Nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Jan. 20, 2021 | National | PN 78-10 | Nomination of Avril Haines as the Director of National Intelligence | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (84 - 10) |
| Dec. 21, 2020 | National | HR 133 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
| Dec. 21, 2020 | National | HR 133 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (359 - 53) |
| Dec. 21, 2020 | National | HR 133 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (327 - 85) |
| Dec. 4, 2020 | National | HR 3884 | Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 164) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/19 | HR 3233 | National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act | Bill Passed - House (252 - 175) |
| 5/18 | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - House (364 - 62) |
| 5/18 | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - House (364 - 62) |
| 4/22 | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 1) |
| 4/22 | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 1) |
| 4/21 | PN 79-4 | Nomination of Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 4/21 | HR 1573 | Access to Counsel Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (217 - 207) |
| 3/17 | HR 1620 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 172) |
| 3/17 | H J Res 17 | Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (222 - 204) |
| 3/11 | HR 1446 | Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (219 - 210) |
| 3/11 | HR 8 | Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (227 - 203) |
| 3/10 | HR 1319 | American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| 3/10 | PN 78-7 | Nomination of Merrick Garland as Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
| 3/06 | HR 1319 | American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 3/03 | HR 1280 | George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 212) |
| 3/03 | HR 1 | For the People Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 210) |
| 3/03 | HR 1280 | George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 212) |
| 2/27 | HR 1319 | American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (219 - 212) |
| 2/25 | HR 5 | Equality Act | Bill Passed - House (224 - 206) |
| 2/02 | PN 78-13 | Nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 1/20 | PN 78-10 | Nomination of Avril Haines as the Director of National Intelligence | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (84 - 10) |
| 12/21 | HR 133 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
| 12/21 | HR 133 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (359 - 53) |
| 12/21 | HR 133 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (327 - 85) |
| 12/04 | HR 3884 | Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 164) |