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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22, 2021 | National | S 2093 | For the People Act of 2021 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 50) |
| June 16, 2021 | National | S 475 | Juneteenth National Independence Day Act | Bill Passed - House (415 - 14) |
| June 16, 2021 | National | S 475 | Juneteenth National Independence Day Act | Bill Passed - House (415 - 14) |
| June 15, 2021 | National | HR 1443 | LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act | Bill Failed - House (248 - 177) |
| May 18, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - House (364 - 62) |
| April 22, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 1) |
| April 21, 2021 | National | PN 79-4 | Nomination of Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| April 21, 2021 | National | HR 1573 | Access to Counsel Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (217 - 207) |
| April 21, 2021 | National | HR 1333 | NO BAN Act | Bill Passed - House (218 - 208) |
| March 18, 2021 | National | HR 1603 | Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (247 - 174) |
| March 18, 2021 | National | HR 6 | American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 197) |
| March 17, 2021 | National | H J Res 17 | Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (222 - 204) |
| March 17, 2021 | National | HR 1620 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 172) |
| March 11, 2021 | National | HR 1446 | Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (219 - 210) |
| March 11, 2021 | National | HR 8 | Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (227 - 203) |
| March 6, 2021 | National | S Amdt 1386 | Prohibits funds made available under title II to States, local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education that permit any student whose biological sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity designated for women or girls. | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| March 3, 2021 | National | HR 1280 | George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 212) |
| March 3, 2021 | National | HR 1280 | George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 212) |
| March 3, 2021 | National | HR 1 | For the People Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 210) |
| Feb. 25, 2021 | National | HR 5 | Equality Act | Bill Passed - House (224 - 206) |
| Feb. 25, 2021 | National | HR 5 | Equality Act | Bill Passed - House (224 - 206) |
| Dec. 4, 2020 | National | HR 3884 | Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 164) |
| Dec. 3, 2020 | National | HR 1380 | Big Cat Public Safety Act | Bill Passed - House (272 - 114) |
| Oct. 2, 2020 | National | H Res 1153 | Condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent | Bill Passed - House (232 - 157) |
| Oct. 2, 2020 | National | H Res 1153 | Condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent | Bill Passed - House (232 - 157) |