National Government Operations Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 2, 2012 National S Amdt 1472 Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
Feb. 2, 2012 National S Amdt 1491 Requires Disclosure of Financial Transactions by Executive Branch Employees Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
Feb. 2, 2012 National S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
Feb. 2, 2012 National S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
Feb. 2, 2012 National S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
Feb. 1, 2012 National HR 3835 Extends Pay Freeze for Congress and Non-Military Federal Workers Bill Passed - House (309 - 117)
Feb. 1, 2012 National HR 3835 Extends Pay Freeze for Congress and Non-Military Federal Workers Bill Passed - House (309 - 117)
Jan. 26, 2012 National H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
Jan. 26, 2012 National H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
Jan. 18, 2012 National H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176)
Jan. 18, 2012 National H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176)
Dec. 14, 2011 National S J Res 10 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
Dec. 14, 2011 National S J Res 24 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79)
Dec. 6, 2011 National PN 5 Nomination of Caitlin Joan Halligan to the District of Columbia Circuit Court Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
Dec. 2, 2011 National HR 3010 Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies Bill Passed - House (253 - 167)
Dec. 1, 2011 National HR 3463 Repeals Taxpayer Financing of Presidential Election Campaigns Bill Passed - House (235 - 190)
Nov. 18, 2011 National H J Res 2 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165)
Nov. 16, 2011 National HR 822 Requiring State Reciprocity for Carrying Concealed Firearms Bill Passed - House (272 - 154)
Nov. 10, 2011 National S J Res 27 Disapproval of EPA Cross-Border Pollution Rule Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56)
Nov. 1, 2011 National H Con Res 13 Encourages Display of "In God We Trust" in Public Buildings and Schools Joint Resolution Passed - House (396 - 9)
Oct. 26, 2011 National HR 1904 Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 Bill Passed - House (235 - 186)
Oct. 14, 2011 National HR 2273 Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act Bill Passed - House (267 - 144)
Sept. 23, 2011 National H Amdt 799 Suspends Cross State Air Pollution Rule Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 188)
Sept. 14, 2011 National H J Res 77 Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186)
Aug. 2, 2011 National S 365 Budget Control Act of 2011 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/02 S Amdt 1472 Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
2/02 S Amdt 1491 Requires Disclosure of Financial Transactions by Executive Branch Employees Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
2/02 S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
2/02 S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
2/02 S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
2/01 HR 3835 Extends Pay Freeze for Congress and Non-Military Federal Workers Bill Passed - House (309 - 117)
2/01 HR 3835 Extends Pay Freeze for Congress and Non-Military Federal Workers Bill Passed - House (309 - 117)
1/26 H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
1/26 H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
1/18 H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176)
1/18 H J Res 98 Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176)
12/14 S J Res 10 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
12/14 S J Res 24 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79)
12/06 PN 5 Nomination of Caitlin Joan Halligan to the District of Columbia Circuit Court Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
12/02 HR 3010 Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies Bill Passed - House (253 - 167)
12/01 HR 3463 Repeals Taxpayer Financing of Presidential Election Campaigns Bill Passed - House (235 - 190)
11/18 H J Res 2 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165)
11/16 HR 822 Requiring State Reciprocity for Carrying Concealed Firearms Bill Passed - House (272 - 154)
11/10 S J Res 27 Disapproval of EPA Cross-Border Pollution Rule Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56)
11/01 H Con Res 13 Encourages Display of "In God We Trust" in Public Buildings and Schools Joint Resolution Passed - House (396 - 9)
10/26 HR 1904 Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 Bill Passed - House (235 - 186)
10/14 HR 2273 Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act Bill Passed - House (267 - 144)
9/23 H Amdt 799 Suspends Cross State Air Pollution Rule Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 188)
9/14 H J Res 77 Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186)
8/02 S 365 Budget Control Act of 2011 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26)

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