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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 24, 2013 | National | HR 2397 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 109) |
| July 23, 2013 | National | H Amdt 375 | Prohibits the Use of Funds to Appoint Chaplains Without an Endorsing Agency | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173) |
| July 23, 2013 | National | H Amdt 375 | Prohibits the Use of Funds to Appoint Chaplains Without an Endorsing Agency | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173) |
| June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 108) |
| June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 108) |
| June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Motion Rejected - House (194 - 225) |
| June 14, 2013 | National | H Amdt 168 | Establishes Framework for the Closing of the Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by December 1, 2014 | Amendment Rejected - House (174 - 249) |
| June 14, 2013 | National | H Amdt 167 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen | Amendment Adopted - House (236 - 188) |
| June 14, 2013 | National | H Amdt 167 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen | Amendment Adopted - House (236 - 188) |
| June 6, 2013 | National | H Amdt 136 | Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 201) |
| June 6, 2013 | National | HR 2217 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 182) |
| June 6, 2013 | National | HR 2217 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 182) |
| June 4, 2013 | National | H Amdt 84 | Authorizes Funds for the Construction of United States Prison for Prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba | Amendment Rejected - House (170 - 254) |
| May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 75 | Requires All Oil and Refined Fuels Transported Through the Keystone XL Pipeline to be Used Only in The United States | Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 255) |
| May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 69 | Requires Threat Assessment of Pipeline Vulnerabilities to a Terrorist Attack | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 239) |
| April 18, 2013 | National | HR 624 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (288 - 127) |
| April 18, 2013 | National | HR 624 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (288 - 127) |
| March 21, 2013 | National | HR 933 | Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (318 - 109) |
| March 6, 2013 | National | HR 933 | Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - House (267 - 151) |
| Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107) |
| Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107) |
| Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107) |
| Nov. 30, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
| Nov. 16, 2012 | National | HR 6156 | Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (365 - 43) |
| Sept. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
| Sept. 13, 2012 | National | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| July 19, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1416 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act | Amendment Adopted - House (247 - 166) |
| July 19, 2012 | National | HR 5856 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - House (326 - 90) |
| June 19, 2012 | National | HR 2578 | Conservation and Economic Growth Act | Bill Passed - House (232 - 188) |
| June 7, 2012 | National | HR 5855 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2013 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 182) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1140 | Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| May 17, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1103 | Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303) |
| May 17, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1103 | Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303) |
| May 10, 2012 | National | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| May 9, 2012 | National | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 93) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| Dec. 16, 2011 | National | HR 2055 | Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (296 - 121) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | National | HR 3012 | Repeals Certain Green Cards Limitations | Bill Passed - House (389 - 15) |
| Oct. 12, 2011 | National | HR 3078 | Trade Promotion Agreement with Colombia | Bill Passed - House (262 - 167) |