Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 19, 2012 National S Amdt 2181 Limits Farm Subsidies to Farmers with Incomes Under $250,000 Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 84)
June 19, 2012 National S Amdt 2156 Increases Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 66)
June 19, 2012 National S Amdt 2172 Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58)
June 19, 2012 National HR 2578 Conservation and Economic Growth Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
June 13, 2012 National S Amdt 2393 Repeals Sugar Subsidies Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 46)
June 13, 2012 National S Amdt 2392 Reduces Funding for Food Stamps Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33)
June 7, 2012 National HR 436 Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices Bill Passed - House (270 - 146)
June 7, 2012 National HR 5855 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2013 Bill Passed - House (234 - 182)
June 5, 2012 National S 3220 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
May 31, 2012 National H Amdt 1160 Project Labor Agreements Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198)
May 31, 2012 National HR 3541 Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012 Bill Failed - House (246 - 168)
May 24, 2012 National S 2343 Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) Bill Failed - Senate (51 - 43)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2153 Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2108 Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2111 Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67)
May 18, 2012 National HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Bill Passed - House (299 - 120)
May 18, 2012 National H Amdt 1140 Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162)
May 18, 2012 National H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
May 17, 2012 National H Amdt 1103 Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303)
May 16, 2012 National HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
May 15, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
May 10, 2012 National HR 5652 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (218 - 199)
May 9, 2012 National H Amdt 1096 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171)
May 9, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (330 - 93)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/19 S Amdt 2181 Limits Farm Subsidies to Farmers with Incomes Under $250,000 Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 84)
6/19 S Amdt 2156 Increases Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 66)
6/19 S Amdt 2172 Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58)
6/19 HR 2578 Conservation and Economic Growth Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
6/13 S Amdt 2393 Repeals Sugar Subsidies Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 46)
6/13 S Amdt 2392 Reduces Funding for Food Stamps Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33)
6/07 HR 436 Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices Bill Passed - House (270 - 146)
6/07 HR 5855 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2013 Bill Passed - House (234 - 182)
6/05 S 3220 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
5/31 H Amdt 1160 Project Labor Agreements Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198)
5/31 HR 3541 Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012 Bill Failed - House (246 - 168)
5/24 S 2343 Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) Bill Failed - Senate (51 - 43)
5/24 S Amdt 2153 Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62)
5/24 S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
5/24 S Amdt 2108 Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
5/24 S Amdt 2111 Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67)
5/18 HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Bill Passed - House (299 - 120)
5/18 H Amdt 1140 Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162)
5/18 H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
5/17 H Amdt 1103 Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303)
5/16 HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
5/15 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
5/10 HR 5652 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (218 - 199)
5/09 H Amdt 1096 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171)
5/09 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (330 - 93)

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