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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 13, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
| June 13, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2393 | Repeals Sugar Subsidies | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 46) |
| June 5, 2012 | National | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 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 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 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2107 | Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54) |
| May 15, 2012 | National | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| May 8, 2012 | National | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| April 25, 2012 | National | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| April 16, 2012 | National | S 2230 | Establishes a Minimum 30 Percent Tax Rate for High-Income Taxpayers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 45) |
| March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| March 20, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1836 | Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44) |
| March 8, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
| March 1, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1520 | Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48) |
| Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
| Feb. 6, 2012 | National | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1491 | Requires Disclosure of Financial Transactions by Executive Branch Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| Jan. 26, 2012 | National | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 6/13 | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
| 6/13 | S Amdt 2393 | Repeals Sugar Subsidies | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 46) |
| 6/05 | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 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 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) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 2107 | Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54) |
| 5/15 | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 5/08 | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
| 4/26 | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 4/25 | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| 4/16 | S 2230 | Establishes a Minimum 30 Percent Tax Rate for High-Income Taxpayers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 45) |
| 3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 1836 | Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 3/01 | S Amdt 1520 | Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48) |
| 2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
| 2/06 | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 1491 | Requires Disclosure of Financial Transactions by Executive Branch Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| 2/02 | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| 1/26 | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |