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
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. 8, 2010 National S 3985 Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
Dec. 8, 2010 National HR 5987 Seniors Protection Act Bill Failed - House (254 - 153)
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)
Oct. 7, 2010 CA SB 870 2010-2011 Budget Bill Passed - House (57 - 13)
Sept. 30, 2010 National HR 3081 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 194)
Sept. 29, 2010 National HR 3081 Continuing Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30)
Sept. 29, 2010 National S Amdt 4676 Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
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 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
July 20, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
July 1, 2010 National HR 5618 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - House (270 - 153)
July 1, 2010 National HR 4899 Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes Concurrence Vote Failed - House (100 - 321)
July 1, 2010 National HR 4899 Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (239 - 182)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
May 28, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204)
May 27, 2010 National HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
May 18, 2010 National S Amdt 4051 Prohibiting Funding of State and Local Governments to Prevent Defaulting on Debt Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 50)
May 11, 2010 National S Amdt 3839 Termination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conservatorships Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
April 15, 2010 National HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (289 - 112)
April 15, 2010 National HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38)
April 1, 2010 AZ SCR 1060 State Debt Limit Amendments Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 8)
March 10, 2010 National HR 4213 Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
March 3, 2010 National S Amdt 3353 Payment to Social Security Recipients Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 50)
Feb. 9, 2010 AZ SB 1003 Lottery Revenue Bond Authorization and State Building Lease-Purchase Agreements Bill Passed - House (31 - 27)
Feb. 4, 2010 National H J Res 45 Reinstating PAYGO Budget Rule Motion Agreed - House (233 - 187)
Feb. 2, 2010 AZ SB 1003 Lottery Revenue Bond Authorization and State Building Lease-Purchase Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
Jan. 28, 2010 National H J Res 45 Increasing the Public Debt Limit and Reinstating PAYGO Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 39)
Jan. 26, 2010 National S Amdt 3302 Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46)
Jan. 21, 2010 National S Amdt 3301 Ending the Troubled Asset Relief Program Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 45)
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 - Senate (79 - 16)
12/08 S 3985 Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
12/08 HR 5987 Seniors Protection Act Bill Failed - House (254 - 153)
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)
10/07 SB 870 2010-2011 Budget Bill Passed - House (57 - 13)
9/30 HR 3081 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 194)
9/29 HR 3081 Continuing Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30)
9/29 S Amdt 4676 Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
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 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
7/20 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
7/01 HR 5618 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - House (270 - 153)
7/01 HR 4899 Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes Concurrence Vote Failed - House (100 - 321)
7/01 HR 4899 Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (239 - 182)
6/09 S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
6/09 S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
5/28 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204)
5/27 HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
5/18 S Amdt 4051 Prohibiting Funding of State and Local Governments to Prevent Defaulting on Debt Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 50)
5/11 S Amdt 3839 Termination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conservatorships Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
4/15 HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (289 - 112)
4/15 HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38)
4/01 SCR 1060 State Debt Limit Amendments Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 8)
3/10 HR 4213 Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
3/03 S Amdt 3353 Payment to Social Security Recipients Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 50)
2/09 SB 1003 Lottery Revenue Bond Authorization and State Building Lease-Purchase Agreements Bill Passed - House (31 - 27)
2/04 H J Res 45 Reinstating PAYGO Budget Rule Motion Agreed - House (233 - 187)
2/02 SB 1003 Lottery Revenue Bond Authorization and State Building Lease-Purchase Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
1/28 H J Res 45 Increasing the Public Debt Limit and Reinstating PAYGO Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 39)
1/26 S Amdt 3302 Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46)
1/21 S Amdt 3301 Ending the Troubled Asset Relief Program Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 45)

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