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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 16, 2017 | National | HR 1259 | VA Accountability First Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (237 - 178) |
| Sept. 28, 2016 | National | HR 6094 | Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act | Bill Passed - House (246 - 177) |
| Sept. 14, 2016 | National | HR 5620 | VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016 | Bill Passed - House (310 - 116) |
| May 25, 2016 | National | H Amdt 1128 | Prohibits Use of Funds for Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 195) |
| May 19, 2016 | National | H Amdt 1079 | Prohibits Use of Funds for Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - House (212 - 213) |
| Nov. 17, 2015 | National | HR 511 | Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (249 - 177) |
| March 26, 2015 | National | S Amdt 798 | Deficit-Neutral Reserve Fund for Legislation to Allow Americans to Earn Paid Sick Time | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| Jan. 8, 2015 | National | HR 30 | Save American Workers Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (252 - 172) |
| July 30, 2014 | National | S 2569 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
| April 30, 2014 | National | S 2223 | Minimum Wage Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
| April 9, 2014 | National | S 2199 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
| April 3, 2014 | National | HR 2575 | Save American Workers Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (248 - 179) |
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| Nov. 4, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| Aug. 1, 2013 | National | HR 2879 | Stop Government Abuse Act | Bill Passed - House (239 - 176) |
| May 8, 2013 | National | HR 1406 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 204) |
| April 12, 2013 | National | HR 1120 | Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act | Bill Passed - House (219 - 209) |
| Feb. 15, 2013 | National | HR 273 | Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees | Bill Passed - House (261 - 154) |
| Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6684 | Spending Reduction Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (215 - 209) |
| July 19, 2012 | National | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| June 5, 2012 | National | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| May 31, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1160 | Project Labor Agreements | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| April 25, 2012 | National | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| Feb. 6, 2012 | National | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/16 | HR 1259 | VA Accountability First Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (237 - 178) |
| 9/28 | HR 6094 | Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act | Bill Passed - House (246 - 177) |
| 9/14 | HR 5620 | VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016 | Bill Passed - House (310 - 116) |
| 5/25 | H Amdt 1128 | Prohibits Use of Funds for Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 195) |
| 5/19 | H Amdt 1079 | Prohibits Use of Funds for Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - House (212 - 213) |
| 11/17 | HR 511 | Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (249 - 177) |
| 3/26 | S Amdt 798 | Deficit-Neutral Reserve Fund for Legislation to Allow Americans to Earn Paid Sick Time | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 1/08 | HR 30 | Save American Workers Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (252 - 172) |
| 7/30 | S 2569 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
| 4/30 | S 2223 | Minimum Wage Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
| 4/09 | S 2199 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
| 4/03 | HR 2575 | Save American Workers Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (248 - 179) |
| 11/07 | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
| 11/07 | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| 11/04 | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
| 8/01 | HR 2879 | Stop Government Abuse Act | Bill Passed - House (239 - 176) |
| 5/08 | HR 1406 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 204) |
| 4/12 | HR 1120 | Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act | Bill Passed - House (219 - 209) |
| 2/15 | HR 273 | Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees | Bill Passed - House (261 - 154) |
| 12/20 | HR 6684 | Spending Reduction Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (215 - 209) |
| 7/19 | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 6/05 | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 5/31 | H Amdt 1160 | Project Labor Agreements | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| 4/25 | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| 2/06 | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20) |