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. 3, 2017 National PN 37 Nomination of Elisabeth Prince DeVos to be Secretary of Education Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 48)
Feb. 2, 2017 National H J Res 38 Disapproving the Rule Submitted by the Department of the Interior Known as the Stream Protection Rule Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (54 - 45)
Feb. 1, 2017 National PN 25 Nomination of Rex W. Tillerson to be Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43)
Jan. 30, 2017 National PN 25 Nomination of Rex W. Tillerson to be Secretary of State Cloture Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
March 14, 2016 National PN 1152 Nomination of John B. King to be Secretary of Education Nomination Confirmed - Senate (49 - 40)
March 14, 2016 National PN 1152 Nomination of John B. King to be Secretary of Education Nomination Confirmed - Senate (49 - 40)
Jan. 21, 2016 National S J Res 22 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to the Definition of "Waters of the United States" Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 40)
Jan. 19, 2016 National PN 367 Nomination of Wilhelmina Wright to Be U.S. District Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 36)
Jan. 12, 2016 National S 2232 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44)
Oct. 27, 2015 National S 754 Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 21)
April 23, 2015 National PN 4 Nomination of Loretta E. Lynch to be Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43)
Sept. 11, 2014 National S J Res 19 A Joint Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Relating to Contributions and Expenditures Intended to Affect Elections Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42)
July 29, 2014 National S Amdt 3584 Transportation Empowerment Act Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 69)
Dec. 18, 2013 National H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (64 - 36)
Oct. 29, 2013 National S J Res 26 A Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit, as Submitted Under Section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 on October 17, 2013 Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
Oct. 29, 2013 National S J Res 26 A Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit, as Submitted Under Section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 on October 17, 2013 Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
Oct. 16, 2013 National HR 2775 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
Oct. 16, 2013 National HR 2775 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
Oct. 12, 2013 National S 1569 Default Prevention Act of 2013 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
Sept. 30, 2013 National H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
Sept. 30, 2013 National H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
Sept. 30, 2013 National H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
Sept. 27, 2013 National H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44)
Sept. 27, 2013 National H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44)
May 6, 2013 National S 743 Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/03 PN 37 Nomination of Elisabeth Prince DeVos to be Secretary of Education Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 48)
2/02 H J Res 38 Disapproving the Rule Submitted by the Department of the Interior Known as the Stream Protection Rule Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (54 - 45)
2/01 PN 25 Nomination of Rex W. Tillerson to be Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43)
1/30 PN 25 Nomination of Rex W. Tillerson to be Secretary of State Cloture Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
3/14 PN 1152 Nomination of John B. King to be Secretary of Education Nomination Confirmed - Senate (49 - 40)
3/14 PN 1152 Nomination of John B. King to be Secretary of Education Nomination Confirmed - Senate (49 - 40)
1/21 S J Res 22 A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to the Definition of "Waters of the United States" Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 40)
1/19 PN 367 Nomination of Wilhelmina Wright to Be U.S. District Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 36)
1/12 S 2232 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44)
10/27 S 754 Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 21)
4/23 PN 4 Nomination of Loretta E. Lynch to be Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43)
9/11 S J Res 19 A Joint Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Relating to Contributions and Expenditures Intended to Affect Elections Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42)
7/29 S Amdt 3584 Transportation Empowerment Act Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 69)
12/18 H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (64 - 36)
10/29 S J Res 26 A Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit, as Submitted Under Section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 on October 17, 2013 Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
10/29 S J Res 26 A Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit, as Submitted Under Section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 on October 17, 2013 Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
10/16 HR 2775 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
10/16 HR 2775 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
10/12 S 1569 Default Prevention Act of 2013 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
9/30 H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
9/30 H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
9/30 H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
9/27 H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44)
9/27 H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44)
5/06 S 743 Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27)

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