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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| Dec. 18, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| Dec. 18, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5281 | DREAM Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3991 | Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
| Dec. 2, 2010 | National | H Res 1737 | Censure for Representative Charles Rangel | Resolution Passed - House (333 - 79) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| Nov. 18, 2010 | National | HR 6419 | Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits | Bill Failed - House (258 - 154) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 | National | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
| Sept. 22, 2010 | National | HR 3470 | Infant Mortality Pilot Programs | Bill Passed - House (324 - 64) |
| Sept. 21, 2010 | National | S 3454 | 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Aug. 5, 2010 | National | PN 1768 | Elena Kagan, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| July 27, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (308 - 114) |
| July 22, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| July 21, 2010 | National | HR 725 | Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92) |
| July 21, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| July 20, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 12/18 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| 12/18 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31) |
| 12/15 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| 12/15 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| 12/08 | HR 5281 | DREAM Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198) |
| 12/08 | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 12/08 | S 3991 | Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43) |
| 12/08 | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
| 12/08 | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
| 12/02 | H Res 1737 | Censure for Representative Charles Rangel | Resolution Passed - House (333 - 79) |
| 11/30 | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| 11/18 | HR 6419 | Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits | Bill Failed - House (258 - 154) |
| 11/17 | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 9/22 | HR 3470 | Infant Mortality Pilot Programs | Bill Passed - House (324 - 64) |
| 9/21 | S 3454 | 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 8/05 | PN 1768 | Elena Kagan, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 7/27 | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (308 - 114) |
| 7/22 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| 7/21 | HR 725 | Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92) |
| 7/21 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 7/20 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40) |