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 23, 2019 | National | H Res 246 | Opposing Efforts to Delegitimize the State of Israel and The Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement Targeting Israel | Bill Passed - House (398 - 17) |
| July 16, 2019 | National | H Res 489 | Condemning President Trump's Racist Comments Directed at Members of Congress | Bill Passed - House (240 - 187) |
| May 17, 2019 | National | HR 5 | Equality Act | Bill Passed - House (236 - 173) |
| March 7, 2019 | National | H Res 183 | Condemning anti-Semitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the people of the United States and condemning anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contrary to the values and aspirations of the United States | Bill Passed - House (407 - 23) |
| Jan. 15, 2019 | National | H Res 41 | Rejecting White Nationalism and White Supremacy | Bill Passed - House (424 - 1) |
| May 22, 2018 | National | S 204 | Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 169) |
| May 8, 2018 | National | S J Res 57 | A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act" | Bill Passed - House (234 - 175) |
| March 14, 2018 | National | HR 4909 | STOP School Violence Act of 2018 | Bill Passed - House (407 - 10) |
| Feb. 27, 2018 | National | HR 1865 | Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 25) |
| Feb. 15, 2018 | National | HR 620 | ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 192) |
| Jan. 11, 2018 | National | S 139 | FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 164) |
| Feb. 2, 2017 | National | H J Res 40 | Providing for congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 | Joint Resolution Passed - House (235 - 180) |
| May 30, 2014 | National | H Amdt 763 | Prohibits Funds from Being Used to Require Journalists to Disclose Sources | Amendment Adopted - House (225 - 183) |
| Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 498 | Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222) |
| Nov. 20, 2013 | National | HR 1965 | Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 192) |
| Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| Nov. 18, 2011 | National | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
| Aug. 1, 2011 | National | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
| July 29, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
| July 19, 2011 | National | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 190) |
| May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| 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) |
| June 20, 2008 | National | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - House (293 - 129) |
| March 14, 2008 | National | HR 3773 | Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (213 - 197) |
| Nov. 15, 2007 | National | HR 3773 | Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act | Bill Passed - House (227 - 189) |
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| Aug. 5, 2007 | National | HR 3222 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2008 | Bill Passed - House (395 - 13) |
| May 17, 2007 | National | H Amdt 197 | Guantanamo Transfer Plan | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 208) |
| Sept. 29, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
| Sept. 20, 2006 | National | HR 4844 | Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 196) |
| July 19, 2006 | National | HR 2389 | Pledge Protection Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (260 - 167) |
| July 18, 2006 | National | H J Res 88 | Same-Sex Marriage Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (236 - 187) |
| July 13, 2006 | National | HR 9 | Voting Rights Act Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (390 - 33) |
| Dec. 14, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - House (251 - 174) |
| Nov. 2, 2005 | National | HR 1606 | Online Freedom of Speech Act | Bill Failed - House (225 - 182) |
| July 21, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Motion Rejected - House (209 - 218) |
| July 21, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (257 - 171) |
| June 22, 2005 | National | H J Res 10 | Flag Desecration Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (286 - 130) |
| June 17, 2005 | National | HR 2745 | United Nations Reform Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (221 - 184) |
| June 15, 2005 | National | H Amdt 280 | Patriot Act Amendment - Library Records | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 187) |
| June 2, 2004 | National | H J Res 83 | Special Elections/Appointments Provisions Bill | Joint Resolution Failed - House (63 - 353) |
| June 3, 2003 | National | H J Res 4 | Flag Burning Resolution | Bill Passed - House (300 - 125) |
| Oct. 10, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| Oct. 24, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (357 - 66) |
| Oct. 12, 2001 | National | HR 2975 | Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (337 - 79) |
| July 17, 2001 | National | H J Res 36 | Flag Burning Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (298 - 125) |