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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
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) |
Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6684 | Spending Reduction Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (215 - 209) |
Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6684 | Spending Reduction Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (215 - 209) |
Dec. 6, 2012 | MI | HB 4003 | Limits Labor Organization Activities: Public Entities | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |
Dec. 6, 2012 | MI | SB 116 | Prohibits Employees from Being Required to Join a Labor Union | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
Dec. 4, 2012 | IL | SB 957 | Authorizes Temporary Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14) |
Dec. 3, 2012 | NJ | S 2157 | Establishes Residential Foreclosure | Bill Passed - House (43 - 32) |
Dec. 3, 2012 | NJ | A 2166 | Requires Legislative Approval of Port Authority Minutes | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
Nov. 30, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
Nov. 30, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3025 | Requires Sufficient Sizing of Civilian and Contract Services Workforces | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 53) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3058 | Expands TRICARE Coverage of Autism | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 29) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | NJ | S 2241 | Prohibits Unauthorized Medical Provider Reimbursement Reductions | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 2157 | Establishes Residential Foreclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 2202 | Requires the HMFA to Expand Participation in the New Jersey HomeKeeper Program | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
Sept. 22, 2012 | National | H J Res 117 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (62 - 30) |
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. 14, 2012 | National | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
Sept. 14, 2012 | National | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
Aug. 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (35 - 33) |
Aug. 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Bill Passed - House (48 - 29) |
Aug. 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Bill Passed - House (48 - 29) |
Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |