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 6, 2014 | National | H Amdt 587 | Exempts Certain Nuclear Facility Construction Projects from Environmental Review Time Frame Requirements | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 220) |
| Jan. 9, 2014 | National | HR 2279 | Reducing Excessive Deadline Obligations Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 188) |
| Sept. 18, 2013 | National | H Amdt 466 | Requires Mine Operators to Include the Cost of Cleanup in Financial Insurance | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 235) |
| June 28, 2013 | National | HR 2231 | Offshore Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (235 - 186) |
| Sept. 21, 2012 | National | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
| July 12, 2012 | National | HR 4402 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 160) |
| June 21, 2012 | National | HR 4480 | Domestic Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 163) |
| May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2108 | Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
| March 8, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | National | HR 1837 | Water Resources in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley | Bill Passed - House (246 - 175) |
| Dec. 8, 2011 | National | HR 1633 | Limits Regulation of Farm Dust | Bill Passed - House (268 - 150) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S J Res 27 | Disapproval of EPA Cross-Border Pollution Rule | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56) |
| Oct. 14, 2011 | National | HR 2273 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act | Bill Passed - House (267 - 144) |
| Oct. 6, 2011 | National | HR 2681 | Repeals EPA Emissions Regulations for Cement Manufacturers | Bill Passed - House (262 - 161) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | National | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | National | H Amdt 799 | Suspends Cross State Air Pollution Rule | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 188) |
| July 27, 2011 | National | H Amdt 735 | Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202) |
| July 13, 2011 | National | HR 2018 | Amending Clean Water Laws | Bill Passed - House (239 - 184) |
| June 22, 2011 | National | HR 2021 | Impact of Drilling on Air Quality | Bill Passed - House (253 - 166) |
| April 7, 2011 | National | HR 910 | Energy Tax Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 172) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | National | HR 5110 | Expanding Casa Grande Ruins National Monument | Bill Failed - House (244 - 174) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | National | HR 4823 | Establishing Sedona-Red Rock National Scenic Area | Bill Failed - House (258 - 160) |
| July 30, 2010 | National | HR 3534 | Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 193) |
| June 10, 2010 | National | S J Res 26 | Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/06 | H Amdt 587 | Exempts Certain Nuclear Facility Construction Projects from Environmental Review Time Frame Requirements | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 220) |
| 1/09 | HR 2279 | Reducing Excessive Deadline Obligations Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 188) |
| 9/18 | H Amdt 466 | Requires Mine Operators to Include the Cost of Cleanup in Financial Insurance | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 235) |
| 6/28 | HR 2231 | Offshore Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (235 - 186) |
| 9/21 | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
| 7/12 | HR 4402 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 160) |
| 6/21 | HR 4480 | Domestic Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 163) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 2108 | Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 2/29 | HR 1837 | Water Resources in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley | Bill Passed - House (246 - 175) |
| 12/08 | HR 1633 | Limits Regulation of Farm Dust | Bill Passed - House (268 - 150) |
| 11/10 | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| 11/10 | S J Res 27 | Disapproval of EPA Cross-Border Pollution Rule | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56) |
| 10/14 | HR 2273 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act | Bill Passed - House (267 - 144) |
| 10/06 | HR 2681 | Repeals EPA Emissions Regulations for Cement Manufacturers | Bill Passed - House (262 - 161) |
| 9/23 | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
| 9/23 | H Amdt 799 | Suspends Cross State Air Pollution Rule | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 188) |
| 7/27 | H Amdt 735 | Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202) |
| 7/13 | HR 2018 | Amending Clean Water Laws | Bill Passed - House (239 - 184) |
| 6/22 | HR 2021 | Impact of Drilling on Air Quality | Bill Passed - House (253 - 166) |
| 4/07 | HR 910 | Energy Tax Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 172) |
| 9/23 | HR 5110 | Expanding Casa Grande Ruins National Monument | Bill Failed - House (244 - 174) |
| 9/23 | HR 4823 | Establishing Sedona-Red Rock National Scenic Area | Bill Failed - House (258 - 160) |
| 7/30 | HR 3534 | Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 193) |
| 6/10 | S J Res 26 | Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |