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. 20, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
Dec. 17, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
Dec. 13, 2011 | MI | HB 4701 | Amends the State Employee Retirement System | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
Dec. 13, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
Dec. 8, 2011 | MI | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (63 - 45) |
Dec. 7, 2011 | MI | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | MI | SB 806 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
Nov. 30, 2011 | NH | CACR 14 | Constitutional Amendment Authorizing the Legislature to Set Standards for Public Education | Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 264) |
Nov. 18, 2011 | National | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
Nov. 3, 2011 | MI | HB 4701 | Amends the State Employee Retirement System | Bill Passed - House (63 - 45) |
Oct. 26, 2011 | CT | SB 1401 | Establishes the Connecticut Bioscience Collaboration Program | Bill Passed - House (101 - 41) |
Oct. 26, 2011 | PA | SB 1 | Charter School Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
Oct. 26, 2011 | CT | SB 1401 | Establishes the Connecticut Bioscience Collaboration Program | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
Oct. 18, 2011 | PA | SB 1151 | Fiscal Emergency Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
Oct. 12, 2011 | NH | SB 198 | Amends Eligibility Requirements for TANF | Bill Passed - House (237 - 126) |
Oct. 4, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66) |
Sept. 26, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12) |
Sept. 23, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
Sept. 23, 2011 | MO | SB 7 | Incentives for Science-Based Businesses | Bill Passed - House (94 - 48) |
Sept. 23, 2011 | National | S Amdt 655 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36) |
Sept. 23, 2011 | MO | HA 1 to SB 7 | Prohibits Public Funding for Certain Life Science Research Projects | Amendment Rejected - House (68 - 74) |
Sept. 23, 2011 | National | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
Sept. 22, 2011 | National | S Amdt 634 | Sale of F-16 Aircraft to Taiwan | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 48) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/20 | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
12/17 | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
12/14 | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
12/14 | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
12/13 | HB 4701 | Amends the State Employee Retirement System | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
12/13 | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
12/08 | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (63 - 45) |
12/07 | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
12/01 | SB 806 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
11/30 | CACR 14 | Constitutional Amendment Authorizing the Legislature to Set Standards for Public Education | Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 264) |
11/18 | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
11/03 | HB 4701 | Amends the State Employee Retirement System | Bill Passed - House (63 - 45) |
10/26 | SB 1401 | Establishes the Connecticut Bioscience Collaboration Program | Bill Passed - House (101 - 41) |
10/26 | SB 1 | Charter School Guidelines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
10/26 | SB 1401 | Establishes the Connecticut Bioscience Collaboration Program | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
10/18 | SB 1151 | Fiscal Emergency Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
10/12 | SB 198 | Amends Eligibility Requirements for TANF | Bill Passed - House (237 - 126) |
10/04 | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66) |
9/26 | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12) |
9/23 | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
9/23 | SB 7 | Incentives for Science-Based Businesses | Bill Passed - House (94 - 48) |
9/23 | S Amdt 655 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36) |
9/23 | HA 1 to SB 7 | Prohibits Public Funding for Certain Life Science Research Projects | Amendment Rejected - House (68 - 74) |
9/23 | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
9/22 | S Amdt 634 | Sale of F-16 Aircraft to Taiwan | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 48) |