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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 20, 2012 National HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107)
Dec. 20, 2012 National HR 6684 Spending Reduction Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (215 - 209)
Nov. 30, 2012 National HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (245 - 139)
Nov. 16, 2012 National HR 6156 Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (365 - 43)
Sept. 21, 2012 National HR 3409 Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (233 - 175)
Sept. 20, 2012 National HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Failed - House (257 - 158)
Sept. 20, 2012 National H J Res 118 Congressional Disapproval of Department of Health and Human Services Rule to Waive Certain Requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) Joint Resolution Passed - House (250 - 164)
Sept. 19, 2012 National HR 5912 Prohibits Public Funding for Political Party Conventions Bill Passed - House (310 - 95)
Sept. 14, 2012 National HR 6213 No More Solyndras Act Bill Passed - House (245 - 161)
Sept. 13, 2012 National HR 6365 National Security and Job Protection Act Bill Passed - House (223 - 196)
Sept. 12, 2012 National HR 5949 FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (301 - 118)
Aug. 2, 2012 National HR 6169 Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (232 - 189)
Aug. 2, 2012 National HR 6233 Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (223 - 197)
Aug. 1, 2012 National HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (256 - 171)
July 31, 2012 National S 679 Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 Bill Passed - House (261 - 116)
July 31, 2012 National HR 828 Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (263 - 114)
July 31, 2012 National HR 3803 District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Bill Failed - House (220 - 154)
July 26, 2012 National HR 4078 Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act Bill Passed - House (245 - 172)
July 25, 2012 National HR 6168 President Obama's Proposed 2012-2017 Offshore Drilling Lease Sale Plan Act Bill Failed - House (164 - 261)
July 25, 2012 National HR 459 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (327 - 98)
July 25, 2012 National HR 6082 Congressional Replacement of President Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan Bill Passed - House (253 - 170)
July 19, 2012 National H Amdt 1416 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (247 - 166)
July 19, 2012 National HR 5856 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - House (326 - 90)
July 12, 2012 National HR 4402 National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (256 - 160)
July 11, 2012 National HR 6079 Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 Bill Passed - House (244 - 185)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/20 HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107)
12/20 HR 6684 Spending Reduction Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (215 - 209)
11/30 HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (245 - 139)
11/16 HR 6156 Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (365 - 43)
9/21 HR 3409 Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (233 - 175)
9/20 HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Failed - House (257 - 158)
9/20 H J Res 118 Congressional Disapproval of Department of Health and Human Services Rule to Waive Certain Requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) Joint Resolution Passed - House (250 - 164)
9/19 HR 5912 Prohibits Public Funding for Political Party Conventions Bill Passed - House (310 - 95)
9/14 HR 6213 No More Solyndras Act Bill Passed - House (245 - 161)
9/13 HR 6365 National Security and Job Protection Act Bill Passed - House (223 - 196)
9/12 HR 5949 FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (301 - 118)
8/02 HR 6169 Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (232 - 189)
8/02 HR 6233 Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (223 - 197)
8/01 HR 8 Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (256 - 171)
7/31 S 679 Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 Bill Passed - House (261 - 116)
7/31 HR 828 Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (263 - 114)
7/31 HR 3803 District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Bill Failed - House (220 - 154)
7/26 HR 4078 Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act Bill Passed - House (245 - 172)
7/25 HR 6168 President Obama's Proposed 2012-2017 Offshore Drilling Lease Sale Plan Act Bill Failed - House (164 - 261)
7/25 HR 459 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (327 - 98)
7/25 HR 6082 Congressional Replacement of President Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan Bill Passed - House (253 - 170)
7/19 H Amdt 1416 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (247 - 166)
7/19 HR 5856 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - House (326 - 90)
7/12 HR 4402 National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (256 - 160)
7/11 HR 6079 Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 Bill Passed - House (244 - 185)

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