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. 18, 2013 | National | H Amdt 463 | Amends the Definition of "Strategic and Critical Minerals" | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 241) |
| Sept. 18, 2013 | National | HR 761 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (246 - 178) |
| May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 72 | Increases Time to File a Claim Under the Northern Route Approval Act from 60 Days to 1 Year | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234) |
| May 16, 2012 | National | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
| June 23, 2011 | National | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (304 - 117) |
| Dec. 17, 2010 | National | HR 5510 | Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act | Bill Failed - House (210 - 145) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 | National | HR 3808 | Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 | Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235) |
| July 30, 2010 | National | HR 5851 | "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers | Bill Passed - House (315 - 93) |
| July 21, 2010 | National | HR 725 | Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92) |
| Nov. 7, 2009 | National | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| May 20, 2008 | National | HR 6074 | Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil | Bill Passed - House (324 - 84) |
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| Oct. 4, 2007 | National | HR 2740 | Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 30) |
| May 22, 2007 | National | HR 2264 | Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups | Bill Passed - House (345 - 72) |
| May 22, 2007 | National | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (306 - 114) |
| Sept. 29, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
| Sept. 29, 2006 | National | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (231 - 181) |
| Sept. 27, 2006 | National | HR 6166 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (253 - 168) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 2679 | Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 173) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2005 | Bill Failed - House (234 - 172) |
| Sept. 21, 2006 | National | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| March 7, 2006 | National | S 2271 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill | Bill Passed - House (280 - 138) |
| Dec. 19, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106) |
| Oct. 27, 2005 | National | HR 420 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 184) |
| Oct. 19, 2005 | National | HR 554 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (306 - 120) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/18 | H Amdt 463 | Amends the Definition of "Strategic and Critical Minerals" | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 241) |
| 9/18 | HR 761 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (246 - 178) |
| 5/22 | H Amdt 72 | Increases Time to File a Claim Under the Northern Route Approval Act from 60 Days to 1 Year | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234) |
| 5/16 | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
| 6/23 | HR 1249 | Patent Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (304 - 117) |
| 12/17 | HR 5510 | Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act | Bill Failed - House (210 - 145) |
| 11/17 | HR 3808 | Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 | Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235) |
| 7/30 | HR 5851 | "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers | Bill Passed - House (315 - 93) |
| 7/21 | HR 725 | Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92) |
| 11/07 | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| 5/20 | HR 6074 | Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil | Bill Passed - House (324 - 84) |
| 10/16 | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| 10/04 | HR 2740 | Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 30) |
| 5/22 | HR 2264 | Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups | Bill Passed - House (345 - 72) |
| 5/22 | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (306 - 114) |
| 9/29 | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
| 9/29 | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (231 - 181) |
| 9/27 | HR 6166 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (253 - 168) |
| 9/26 | HR 2679 | Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (244 - 173) |
| 9/26 | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2005 | Bill Failed - House (234 - 172) |
| 9/21 | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| 3/07 | S 2271 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill | Bill Passed - House (280 - 138) |
| 12/19 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106) |
| 10/27 | HR 420 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 184) |
| 10/19 | HR 554 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (306 - 120) |