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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 17, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 143) |
| Feb. 14, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - House (275 - 144) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Failed - House (277 - 148) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5281 | DREAM Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198) |
| Sept. 22, 2010 | National | HR 3470 | Infant Mortality Pilot Programs | Bill Passed - House (324 - 64) |
| Sept. 22, 2010 | National | HR 3470 | Infant Mortality Pilot Programs | Bill Passed - House (324 - 64) |
| July 28, 2010 | National | HR 5827 | Exempting Guns from an Estate for Bankruptcy Purposes | Bill Passed - House (307 - 113) |
| July 21, 2010 | National | HR 725 | Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92) |
| May 28, 2010 | National | HR 5136 | 2010-2011 Defense Appropriation Authorizations | Bill Passed - House (229 - 186) |
| May 27, 2010 | National | H Amdt 672 | Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" After Military Review and Certification | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 194) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | National | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
| May 20, 2009 | National | HR 627 | Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 147) |
| April 29, 2009 | National | HR 1913 | Hate Crimes Expansion | Bill Passed - House (249 - 175) |
| April 29, 2009 | National | HR 1913 | Hate Crimes Expansion | Bill Passed - House (249 - 175) |
| April 2, 2009 | National | HR 1256 | FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - House (298 - 112) |
| March 25, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| March 11, 2009 | National | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Failed - House (282 - 144) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | National | HR 1105 | 2009 Budget Bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 178) |
| Sept. 17, 2008 | National | HR 6842 | Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban | Bill Passed - House (266 - 152) |
| July 30, 2008 | National | HR 1108 | FDA Regulation of Tobacco | Bill Passed - House (326 - 102) |
| July 24, 2008 | National | HR 5501 | Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115) |
| July 16, 2008 | National | H Amdt 1114 | Allowing the Use of Certain Terms in Within the Intelligence Community | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 180) |
| June 25, 2008 | National | HR 2176 | Bay Mills Indian Community Land Claim Bill | Bill Failed - House (121 - 298) |
| June 20, 2008 | National | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - House (293 - 129) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/17 | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 143) |
| 2/14 | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - House (275 - 144) |
| 2/08 | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Failed - House (277 - 148) |
| 12/15 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| 12/08 | HR 5281 | DREAM Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198) |
| 9/22 | HR 3470 | Infant Mortality Pilot Programs | Bill Passed - House (324 - 64) |
| 9/22 | HR 3470 | Infant Mortality Pilot Programs | Bill Passed - House (324 - 64) |
| 7/28 | HR 5827 | Exempting Guns from an Estate for Bankruptcy Purposes | Bill Passed - House (307 - 113) |
| 7/21 | HR 725 | Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92) |
| 5/28 | HR 5136 | 2010-2011 Defense Appropriation Authorizations | Bill Passed - House (229 - 186) |
| 5/27 | H Amdt 672 | Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" After Military Review and Certification | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 194) |
| 10/08 | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
| 5/20 | HR 627 | Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 147) |
| 4/29 | HR 1913 | Hate Crimes Expansion | Bill Passed - House (249 - 175) |
| 4/29 | HR 1913 | Hate Crimes Expansion | Bill Passed - House (249 - 175) |
| 4/02 | HR 1256 | FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - House (298 - 112) |
| 3/25 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 3/11 | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Failed - House (282 - 144) |
| 2/26 | HR 1105 | 2009 Budget Bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 178) |
| 9/17 | HR 6842 | Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban | Bill Passed - House (266 - 152) |
| 7/30 | HR 1108 | FDA Regulation of Tobacco | Bill Passed - House (326 - 102) |
| 7/24 | HR 5501 | Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115) |
| 7/16 | H Amdt 1114 | Allowing the Use of Certain Terms in Within the Intelligence Community | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 180) |
| 6/25 | HR 2176 | Bay Mills Indian Community Land Claim Bill | Bill Failed - House (121 - 298) |
| 6/20 | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - House (293 - 129) |