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. 16, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
Sept. 19, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2022 | Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
Feb. 27, 2002 | National | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5087 | Habeas Review Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
July 22, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
June 6, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3910 | FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41) |
Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3907 | Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67) |
July 9, 2008 | National | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
July 19, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2351 | Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5095 | Oversight of CIA Interrogation and Detention Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
May 11, 1993 | National | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36) |
Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
May 12, 1994 | National | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
March 2, 2006 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
March 17, 1993 | National | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
Oct. 25, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
July 9, 2008 | National | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28) |
April 11, 2002 | National | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S 2248 | FISA Amendments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
Dec. 15, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13) |
Jan. 18, 2018 | National | S 139 | FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
April 19, 2024 | National | HR 7888 | Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 34) |
April 18, 2024 | National | HR 7888 | Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (67 - 32) |
May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23) |
Feb. 15, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12) |
Dec. 1, 2022 | National | H J Res 100 | To provide for a resolution with respect to the unresolved disputes between certain railroads represented by the National Carriers' Conference Committee of the National Railway Labor Conference and certain of their employees. | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (80 - 15) |
March 7, 2022 | National | HR 55 | Emmett Till Antilynching Act | Bill Passed - Senate (100 - 0) |
April 22, 2021 | National | S 937 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 1) |
March 21, 2018 | National | HR 1865 | Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
June 2, 2015 | National | HR 2048 | Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring (USA FREEDOM) Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 32) |
Dec. 1, 2022 | National | H Con Res 119 | Providing for a Correction in the enrollment of H.J. Res. 100. | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (52 - 43) |
Feb. 15, 2017 | National | H J Res 40 | Providing for congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (57 - 43) |
Dec. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
Feb. 15, 2018 | National | S Amdt 1959 | Secure and Succeed Act (Grassley Amendment) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (39 - 60) |
June 22, 2021 | National | S 2093 | For the People Act of 2021 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 50) |
Nov. 18, 2014 | National | S 2685 | USA FREEDOM Act of 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
Feb. 15, 2018 | National | S Amdt 1955 | Uniting and Securing America Act (Coons-McCain Amendment) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
Feb. 15, 2018 | National | S Amdt 1948 | Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act (Toomey Amendment) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45) |
Feb. 15, 2018 | National | S Amdt 1958 | Immigration Security and Opportunity Act (Schumer Amendment) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45) |
Nov. 19, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2175 | Authorizes the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to the United States | Amendment Rejected - Senate (52 - 46) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3018 | Prohibits the Indefinite Detention of Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
May 16, 2018 | National | S J Res 52 | A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to "Restoring Internet Freedom" | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
Dec. 4, 2012 | National | Treaty Doc. 112-7 | The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Treaty Ratification Failed - Senate (61 - 38) |
April 18, 2018 | National | S J Res 57 | A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 47) |
May 23, 2011 | National | S 1038 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1126 | Prohibits Detention of U.S. Citizens Without Trial | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1125 | Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
Oct. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 753 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for Prosecution of Enemy Combatants in Civilian Courts | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1274 | Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 59) |
Nov. 29, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1107 | Removes Provisions Requiring Military Custody of al-Qaeda Suspects | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60) |