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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4051 | Prohibiting Funding of State and Local Governments to Prevent Defaulting on Debt | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 50) |
| May 18, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4071 | Amending State Authority to Enforce Consumer Financial Regulations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (80 - 18) |
| May 18, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4034 | Federal Preemption Over State Consumer Financial Laws | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| March 21, 2010 | National | HR 3590 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 212) |
| Dec. 24, 2009 | National | HR 3590 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 39) |
| Dec. 23, 2009 | National | HR 3590 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 39) |
| Nov. 7, 2009 | National | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| July 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 1618 | Authorizing Concealed Firearms Across State Lines | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 39) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | National | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| July 16, 2008 | National | HR 415 | Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System | Bill Passed - House (242 - 175) |
| Oct. 24, 2007 | National | HR 505 | Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (261 - 153) |
| July 26, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2405 | REAL ID Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44) |
| July 25, 2007 | National | H Amdt 674 | State and Federal Medical Marijuana Law Enforcement and Implementation | Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 262) |
| April 19, 2007 | National | HR 1905 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (241 - 177) |
| June 15, 2005 | National | H Amdt 272 | Medical Marijuana Use Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (161 - 264) |
| July 14, 2004 | National | S J Res 40 | Federal Marriage Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| Oct. 10, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| June 11, 2002 | National | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| April 11, 2002 | National | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| June 21, 2000 | National | H Amdt 858 | EPA Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 216) |
| June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| June 7, 2000 | National | H Amdt 745 | San Rafael Swell Area Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 211) |
| June 7, 2000 | National | H Amdt 748 | San Rafael Legacy District Motor Vehicle Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 214) |
| May 11, 2000 | National | H Amdt 694 | Local Government Participation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 238) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4051 | Prohibiting Funding of State and Local Governments to Prevent Defaulting on Debt | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 50) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4071 | Amending State Authority to Enforce Consumer Financial Regulations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (80 - 18) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4034 | Federal Preemption Over State Consumer Financial Laws | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| 3/21 | HR 3590 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 212) |
| 12/24 | HR 3590 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 39) |
| 12/23 | HR 3590 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 39) |
| 11/07 | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 1618 | Authorizing Concealed Firearms Across State Lines | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 39) |
| 2/26 | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 7/16 | HR 415 | Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System | Bill Passed - House (242 - 175) |
| 10/24 | HR 505 | Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (261 - 153) |
| 7/26 | S Amdt 2405 | REAL ID Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44) |
| 7/25 | H Amdt 674 | State and Federal Medical Marijuana Law Enforcement and Implementation | Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 262) |
| 4/19 | HR 1905 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (241 - 177) |
| 6/15 | H Amdt 272 | Medical Marijuana Use Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (161 - 264) |
| 7/14 | S J Res 40 | Federal Marriage Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50) |
| 10/16 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 10/10 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| 6/11 | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 4/11 | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 6/21 | H Amdt 858 | EPA Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 216) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 6/07 | H Amdt 745 | San Rafael Swell Area Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 211) |
| 6/07 | H Amdt 748 | San Rafael Legacy District Motor Vehicle Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 214) |
| 5/11 | H Amdt 694 | Local Government Participation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 238) |