National Judicial Branch 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
Sept. 18, 2013 National HR 761 National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (246 - 178)
May 22, 2013 National H Amdt 72 Increases Time to File a Claim Under the Northern Route Approval Act from 60 Days to 1 Year Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234)
April 12, 2013 National HR 1120 Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act Bill Passed - House (219 - 209)
Feb. 28, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (286 - 138)
Feb. 28, 2013 National H Amdt 23 Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act Amendment Rejected - House (166 - 257)
Feb. 12, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
May 16, 2012 National HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
April 26, 2012 National S 1925 Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31)
Feb. 9, 2012 National S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - House (417 - 2)
Feb. 2, 2012 National S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
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. 1, 2011 National S Amdt 1126 Prohibits Detention of U.S. Citizens Without Trial Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
Dec. 1, 2011 National S Amdt 1274 Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 59)
Dec. 1, 2011 National S Amdt 1125 Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
Oct. 21, 2011 National S Amdt 753 Prohibits the Use of Funds for Prosecution of Enemy Combatants in Civilian Courts Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52)
Sept. 8, 2011 National HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9)
June 23, 2011 National HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (304 - 117)
Dec. 17, 2010 National HR 5510 Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act Bill Failed - House (210 - 145)
Nov. 17, 2010 National HR 3808 Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235)
Nov. 17, 2010 National S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
Aug. 5, 2010 National PN 1768 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
July 30, 2010 National HR 5851 "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers Bill Passed - House (315 - 93)
July 21, 2010 National HR 725 Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92)
Nov. 19, 2009 National PN 187 David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39)
Nov. 7, 2009 National H Amdt 510 Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/18 HR 761 National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (246 - 178)
5/22 H Amdt 72 Increases Time to File a Claim Under the Northern Route Approval Act from 60 Days to 1 Year Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234)
4/12 HR 1120 Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act Bill Passed - House (219 - 209)
2/28 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (286 - 138)
2/28 H Amdt 23 Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act Amendment Rejected - House (166 - 257)
2/12 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
5/16 HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
4/26 S 1925 Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31)
2/09 S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - House (417 - 2)
2/02 S 2038 Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
12/06 PN 5 Nomination of Caitlin Joan Halligan to the District of Columbia Circuit Court Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
12/01 S Amdt 1126 Prohibits Detention of U.S. Citizens Without Trial Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
12/01 S Amdt 1274 Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 59)
12/01 S Amdt 1125 Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
10/21 S Amdt 753 Prohibits the Use of Funds for Prosecution of Enemy Combatants in Civilian Courts Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52)
9/08 HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9)
6/23 HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (304 - 117)
12/17 HR 5510 Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act Bill Failed - House (210 - 145)
11/17 HR 3808 Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235)
11/17 S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
8/05 PN 1768 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
7/30 HR 5851 "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers Bill Passed - House (315 - 93)
7/21 HR 725 Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92)
11/19 PN 187 David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39)
11/07 H Amdt 510 Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258)

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