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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 26, 2007 | National | HR 800 | Union Organization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
May 1, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
April 23, 2008 | National | HR 2831 | Equal Pay Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
Feb. 9, 2010 | National | PN 1351 | Craig Becker, Member of the National Labor Relations Board | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 33) |
July 12, 1994 | National | S 55 | Striker Replacement | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47) |
Sept. 28, 2010 | National | S 3816 | Tax Law Amendments | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
May 18, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
Aug. 3, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
Feb. 9, 2010 | National | PN 1351 | Craig Becker, Member of the National Labor Relations Board | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 33) |
Feb. 22, 2010 | National | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Cloture Invoked - Senate (62 - 30) |
Nov. 9, 1999 | National | S Amdt 2751 | Two Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 48) |
July 12, 1994 | National | S 55 | Striker Replacement | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47) |
March 6, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
July 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
Nov. 9, 1999 | National | S Amdt 2547 | Three Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
March 21, 2001 | National | S Amdt 134 | Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
July 10, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
July 9, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4435 | Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
July 10, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
March 7, 2005 | National | S Amdt 128 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
March 7, 2005 | National | S Amdt 44 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 49) |
May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
June 21, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4322 | Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
June 21, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4376 | Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
April 8, 2004 | National | HR 3108 | Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 19) |
Oct. 3, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
July 31, 2008 | National | HR 4040 | Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 3) |
March 17, 2010 | National | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
May 24, 2007 | National | HR 2206 | Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
Feb. 24, 2010 | National | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (70 - 28) |
July 10, 1996 | National | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
July 10, 1996 | National | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
July 9, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
March 6, 2008 | National | HR 4040 | Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 13) |
March 25, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
Feb. 2, 2000 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
Sept. 10, 1996 | National | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
Jan. 22, 2009 | National | S 181 | Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 36) |
March 6, 2001 | National | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
Feb. 6, 2012 | National | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20) |
March 22, 2021 | National | PN 78-23 | Nomination of Martin Walsh as Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 29) |
Sept. 26, 2019 | National | PN 1099 | Nomination of Eugene Scalia as the Secretary of Labor | (53 - 44) |
July 20, 2021 | National | PN 126 | Nomination of Jennifer Abruzzo as General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 50) |
June 8, 2021 | National | HR 7 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 50) |
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) |
April 10, 2024 | National | H J Res 98 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to "Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status". | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (50 - 48) |
Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 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) |
July 30, 2014 | National | S 2569 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
April 9, 2014 | National | S 2199 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
Sept. 25, 2019 | National | PN 1099 | Nomination of Eugene Scalia as the Secretary of Labor | Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 42) |
Nov. 4, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
April 30, 2014 | National | S 2223 | Minimum Wage Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
March 26, 2015 | National | S Amdt 798 | Deficit-Neutral Reserve Fund for Legislation to Allow Americans to Earn Paid Sick Time | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
Aug. 23, 2018 | National | S Amdt 3967 | Senator Rand Paul's Amendment to H.R. 6157 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 48) |
Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
March 7, 2024 | National | S 3853 | A bill to extend the period for filing claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and to provide for compensation under such Act for claims relating to Manhattan Project waste, and to improve compensation for workers involved in uranium mining. | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
March 7, 2024 | National | S 3853 | A bill to extend the period for filing claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and to provide for compensation under such Act for claims relating to Manhattan Project waste, and to improve compensation for workers involved in uranium mining. | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
March 15, 2022 | National | S 623 | Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 | Bill Passed - Senate (100 - 0) |
March 5, 2021 | National | S Amdt 972 | Increases the Federal Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58) |
Oct. 11, 2011 | National | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
Nov. 17, 2010 | National | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
July 19, 2012 | National | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3991 | Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43) |
June 5, 2012 | National | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 642 | Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57) |
Sept. 22, 2011 | National | S Amdt 633 | Extends Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 28) |
Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 641 | Requires Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to be Contingent Upon Ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 625 | Reducing and Extending Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
Feb. 15, 2011 | National | S Amdt 14 | Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
April 25, 2012 | National | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |