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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 25, 2013 | National | HR 2218 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 155) |
| May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 71 | Repeals Requirement that Secretary of the Army Approve All Keystone XL Pipeline Permit Applications | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234) |
| May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 67 | Requires a Finding be Added Concerning Oil Sand Crudes | Amendment Rejected - House (146 - 269) |
| May 8, 2013 | National | HR 1406 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 204) |
| May 8, 2013 | National | HR 1406 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 204) |
| May 6, 2013 | National | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27) |
| April 25, 2013 | National | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (63 - 30) |
| March 14, 2013 | National | S Amdt 66 | Temporarily Prohibits the Hiring of Nonessential Federal Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| July 26, 2012 | National | HR 4078 | Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 172) |
| July 19, 2012 | National | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| July 19, 2012 | National | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| July 12, 2012 | National | S 2237 | Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
| June 5, 2012 | National | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| April 25, 2012 | National | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| April 19, 2012 | National | HR 9 | Income Tax Deduction for Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (235 - 173) |
| Dec. 7, 2011 | National | HR 10 | Congressional Approval of Regulations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 184) |
| Dec. 2, 2011 | National | HR 3010 | Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies | Bill Passed - House (253 - 167) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | HR 527 | Increases Requirements for Agencies that Promulgate Regulations Affecting Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (263 - 159) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S J Res 6 | Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 853 | Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors | Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 849 | Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/25 | HR 2218 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 155) |
| 5/22 | H Amdt 71 | Repeals Requirement that Secretary of the Army Approve All Keystone XL Pipeline Permit Applications | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234) |
| 5/22 | H Amdt 67 | Requires a Finding be Added Concerning Oil Sand Crudes | Amendment Rejected - House (146 - 269) |
| 5/08 | HR 1406 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 204) |
| 5/08 | HR 1406 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 204) |
| 5/06 | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27) |
| 4/25 | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (63 - 30) |
| 3/14 | S Amdt 66 | Temporarily Prohibits the Hiring of Nonessential Federal Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| 7/26 | HR 4078 | Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 172) |
| 7/19 | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 7/19 | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 7/12 | S 2237 | Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
| 6/05 | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 4/26 | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| 4/25 | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| 4/19 | HR 9 | Income Tax Deduction for Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (235 - 173) |
| 12/07 | HR 10 | Congressional Approval of Regulations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 184) |
| 12/02 | HR 3010 | Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies | Bill Passed - House (253 - 167) |
| 12/01 | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| 12/01 | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 12/01 | HR 527 | Increases Requirements for Agencies that Promulgate Regulations Affecting Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (263 - 159) |
| 11/10 | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| 11/10 | S J Res 6 | Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 11/03 | H Amdt 853 | Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors | Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234) |
| 11/03 | H Amdt 849 | Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234) |