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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 13, 2014 | National | HR 3189 | Water Rights Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (238 - 174) |
March 6, 2014 | National | H Amdt 585 | Prohibits the Social Cost of Carbon from Being Included in Agency Determinations | Amendment Adopted - House (222 - 188) |
March 6, 2014 | National | H Amdt 587 | Exempts Certain Nuclear Facility Construction Projects from Environmental Review Time Frame Requirements | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 220) |
March 6, 2014 | National | H Amdt 587 | Exempts Certain Nuclear Facility Construction Projects from Environmental Review Time Frame Requirements | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 220) |
March 6, 2014 | National | H Amdt 585 | Prohibits the Social Cost of Carbon from Being Included in Agency Determinations | Amendment Adopted - House (222 - 188) |
March 6, 2014 | National | HR 2641 | Responsibly And Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (229 - 179) |
March 6, 2014 | National | HR 3826 | Electricity Security and Affordability Act | Bill Passed - House (229 - 183) |
Feb. 4, 2014 | National | HR 2642 | Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 32) |
Jan. 29, 2014 | National | HR 2642 | Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - House (251 - 166) |
Jan. 9, 2014 | National | HR 2279 | Reducing Excessive Deadline Obligations Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 188) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 498 | Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 503 | Requires a Report on the Effect of Flooding on Oil and Gas Facilities | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 221) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 503 | Requires a Report on the Effect of Flooding on Oil and Gas Facilities | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 221) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 507 | Specifies the Authority of the Secretary of Interior on the Regulation of Methane Emissions | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 230) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 504 | Appropriates $10 Million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission | Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 226) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 504 | Appropriates $10 Million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission | Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 226) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 499 | Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to Require Certain Findings for Categorical Exclusions | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 228) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 499 | Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to Require Certain Findings for Categorical Exclusions | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 228) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 498 | Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | HR 1965 | Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 192) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | HR 1965 | Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 192) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | HR 2728 | Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act | Bill Passed - House (235 - 187) |
Sept. 20, 2013 | National | HR 1526 | Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act | Bill Passed - House (244 - 173) |
Sept. 18, 2013 | National | H Amdt 463 | Amends the Definition of "Strategic and Critical Minerals" | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 241) |
Sept. 18, 2013 | National | H Amdt 466 | Requires Mine Operators to Include the Cost of Cleanup in Financial Insurance | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 235) |
Sept. 18, 2013 | National | H Amdt 466 | Requires Mine Operators to Include the Cost of Cleanup in Financial Insurance | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 235) |
Sept. 18, 2013 | National | HR 761 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (246 - 178) |
Aug. 2, 2013 | National | H Amdt 448 | Requires Congressional Approval Prior to Establishing a Tax on Carbon Emissions | Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 176) |
Aug. 1, 2013 | National | HR 1582 | Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 181) |
July 25, 2013 | National | HR 2218 | Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 155) |
July 11, 2013 | National | HR 2642 | Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (216 - 208) |
June 28, 2013 | National | HR 2231 | Offshore Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (235 - 186) |
June 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 227 | Amends the Federal Sugar Program | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 221) |
June 20, 2013 | National | HR 1947 | Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 | Bill Failed - House (195 - 234) |
June 10, 2013 | National | S 954 | Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 27) |
May 23, 2013 | National | S Amdt 953 | Limits Subsidy Payments for Individuals with Incomes More Than $750,000 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 33) |
May 23, 2013 | National | S Amdt 923 | Prohibits the Payment of the Premium for an Insurance Policy For Tobacco | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 52) |
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2985 | Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37) |
Sept. 21, 2012 | National | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
Sept. 21, 2012 | National | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
Sept. 14, 2012 | National | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
Aug. 2, 2012 | National | HR 6233 | Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 197) |
July 12, 2012 | National | HR 4402 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 160) |
July 12, 2012 | National | HR 4402 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 160) |
June 21, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2372 | Prohibits the EPA from Conducting Aerial Surveillance of Agricultural Operations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 43) |
June 21, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2310 | Requires Labels on Foods with Genetically Modified Ingredients | Amendment Rejected - Senate (26 - 73) |
June 21, 2012 | National | S 3240 | Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 35) |
June 21, 2012 | National | HR 4480 | Domestic Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 163) |
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 2181 | Limits Farm Subsidies to Farmers with Incomes Under $250,000 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 84) |