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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 13, 2012 | National | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| June 7, 2012 | National | HR 5855 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2013 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 182) |
| May 31, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1160 | Project Labor Agreements | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| May 10, 2012 | National | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| May 10, 2012 | National | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| March 29, 2012 | National | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
| Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
| Feb. 8, 2012 | National | HR 3521 | Authorizes the President to Line-Item Veto Certain Legislation | Bill Passed - House (254 - 173) |
| Feb. 3, 2012 | National | HR 3578 | Amends Budget Baseline | Bill Passed - House (235 - 177) |
| Jan. 18, 2012 | National | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176) |
| Dec. 20, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
| Nov. 18, 2011 | National | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
| Oct. 4, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
| Sept. 23, 2011 | National | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230) |
| Sept. 14, 2011 | National | H J Res 77 | Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186) |
| 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 22, 2011 | National | HR 2551 | 2011-2012 Congressional Budget | Bill Passed - House (252 - 159) |
| July 19, 2011 | National | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 190) |
| May 31, 2011 | National | HR 1954 | Increasing the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - House (97 - 318) |
| April 15, 2011 | National | H Con Res 34 | 2011-2012 Budget | Joint Resolution Passed - House (235 - 193) |
| April 14, 2011 | National | HR 1473 | 2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (260 - 167) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/13 | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
| 6/07 | HR 5855 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2013 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 182) |
| 5/31 | H Amdt 1160 | Project Labor Agreements | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| 5/10 | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| 5/10 | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| 3/29 | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
| 2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
| 2/08 | HR 3521 | Authorizes the President to Line-Item Veto Certain Legislation | Bill Passed - House (254 - 173) |
| 2/03 | HR 3578 | Amends Budget Baseline | Bill Passed - House (235 - 177) |
| 1/18 | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (239 - 176) |
| 12/20 | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
| 12/13 | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
| 11/18 | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
| 10/04 | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66) |
| 9/23 | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
| 9/23 | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
| 9/21 | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230) |
| 9/14 | H J Res 77 | Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186) |
| 8/01 | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
| 7/29 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
| 7/22 | HR 2551 | 2011-2012 Congressional Budget | Bill Passed - House (252 - 159) |
| 7/19 | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 190) |
| 5/31 | HR 1954 | Increasing the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - House (97 - 318) |
| 4/15 | H Con Res 34 | 2011-2012 Budget | Joint Resolution Passed - House (235 - 193) |
| 4/14 | HR 1473 | 2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (260 - 167) |