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. 19, 2019 National HR 1158 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (81 - 11)
Dec. 19, 2019 National HR 1865 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (71 - 23)
Dec. 2, 2019 National PN 1268 Nomination of Dan Brouillette as the Secretary of Energy Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 15)
Nov. 21, 2019 National HR 3055 Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 20)
Nov. 21, 2019 National PN 1268 Nomination of Dan Brouillette as the Secretary of Energy Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 18)
Nov. 13, 2019 National PN 410 Nomination of Chad Wolf to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for the Department of Homeland Security (54 - 41)
Nov. 12, 2019 National PN 410 Nomination of Chad Wolf to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for the Department of Homeland Security Cloture Invoked - Senate (54 - 40)
Oct. 31, 2019 National HR 3055 Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 9)
Oct. 22, 2019 National PN 110 Nomination of Andrew Bremberg to be the Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations (50 - 44)
Oct. 22, 2019 National PN 110 Nomination of Andrew Bremberg to be the Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 43)
Oct. 17, 2019 National SJ Res 54 Rescinds a National Emergency Declared by the President on February 15, 2019 Veto Override Failed - Senate (53 - 36)
Oct. 17, 2019 National S J Res 53 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Repeal of the Clean Power Plan; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Electric Utility Generating Units; Revisions to Emission Guidelines Implementing Regulations" Bill Failed - Senate (41 - 53)
Sept. 26, 2019 National PN 1099 Nomination of Eugene Scalia as the Secretary of Labor (53 - 44)
Sept. 26, 2019 National HR 4378 Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2020, and for other purposes Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 16)
Sept. 26, 2019 National SJ Res 54 Rescinds a National Emergency Declared by the President on February 15, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 41)
Sept. 25, 2019 National PN 1099 Nomination of Eugene Scalia as the Secretary of Labor Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 42)
Aug. 1, 2019 National HR 3877 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
July 29, 2019 National S J Res 38 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed export to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of certain defense articles and services Veto Override Passed - Senate (46 - 41)
July 29, 2019 National S J Res 36 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed transfer to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Kingdom of Spain, and the Italian Republic of certain defense articles and services Veto Override Failed - Senate (45 - 40)
July 29, 2019 National S J Res 37 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed export to the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of France of certain defense articles and services Veto Override Failed - Senate (45 - 39)
July 23, 2019 National PN 934 Nomination of Mark Esper as the Secretary of Defense (90 - 8)
July 23, 2019 National HR 1327 Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2)
July 22, 2019 National PN 934 Nomination of Mark Esper as the Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate (85 - 6)
June 27, 2019 National S 1790 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 8)
June 26, 2019 National HR 3401 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/19 HR 1158 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (81 - 11)
12/19 HR 1865 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (71 - 23)
12/02 PN 1268 Nomination of Dan Brouillette as the Secretary of Energy Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 15)
11/21 HR 3055 Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 20)
11/21 PN 1268 Nomination of Dan Brouillette as the Secretary of Energy Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 18)
11/13 PN 410 Nomination of Chad Wolf to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for the Department of Homeland Security (54 - 41)
11/12 PN 410 Nomination of Chad Wolf to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for the Department of Homeland Security Cloture Invoked - Senate (54 - 40)
10/31 HR 3055 Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 9)
10/22 PN 110 Nomination of Andrew Bremberg to be the Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations (50 - 44)
10/22 PN 110 Nomination of Andrew Bremberg to be the Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 43)
10/17 SJ Res 54 Rescinds a National Emergency Declared by the President on February 15, 2019 Veto Override Failed - Senate (53 - 36)
10/17 S J Res 53 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Repeal of the Clean Power Plan; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Electric Utility Generating Units; Revisions to Emission Guidelines Implementing Regulations" Bill Failed - Senate (41 - 53)
9/26 PN 1099 Nomination of Eugene Scalia as the Secretary of Labor (53 - 44)
9/26 HR 4378 Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2020, and for other purposes Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 16)
9/26 SJ Res 54 Rescinds a National Emergency Declared by the President on February 15, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 41)
9/25 PN 1099 Nomination of Eugene Scalia as the Secretary of Labor Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 42)
8/01 HR 3877 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
7/29 S J Res 38 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed export to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of certain defense articles and services Veto Override Passed - Senate (46 - 41)
7/29 S J Res 36 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed transfer to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Kingdom of Spain, and the Italian Republic of certain defense articles and services Veto Override Failed - Senate (45 - 40)
7/29 S J Res 37 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed export to the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of France of certain defense articles and services Veto Override Failed - Senate (45 - 39)
7/23 PN 934 Nomination of Mark Esper as the Secretary of Defense (90 - 8)
7/23 HR 1327 Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2)
7/22 PN 934 Nomination of Mark Esper as the Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate (85 - 6)
6/27 S 1790 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 8)
6/26 HR 3401 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 8)

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