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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Feb. 4, 2010 | National | H J Res 45 | Reinstating PAYGO Budget Rule | Motion Agreed - House (233 - 187) |
Jan. 28, 2010 | National | H J Res 45 | Increasing the Public Debt Limit and Reinstating PAYGO | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 39) |
Sept. 29, 2010 | National | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
Sept. 30, 2010 | National | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 194) |
Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
July 22, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
July 21, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
July 20, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40) |
May 28, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204) |
March 10, 2010 | National | HR 4213 | Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
April 15, 2010 | National | HR 4851 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (289 - 112) |
April 15, 2010 | National | HR 4851 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38) |
July 27, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (308 - 114) |
May 27, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28) |
July 1, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (100 - 321) |
July 1, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (239 - 182) |
July 1, 2010 | National | HR 5618 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Bill Passed - House (270 - 153) |
Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
Nov. 18, 2010 | National | HR 6419 | Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits | Bill Failed - House (258 - 154) |
Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
Jan. 21, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3301 | Ending the Troubled Asset Relief Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 45) |
Jan. 26, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
March 3, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3353 | Payment to Social Security Recipients | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 50) |
May 11, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3839 | Termination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conservatorships | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
May 18, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4051 | Prohibiting Funding of State and Local Governments to Prevent Defaulting on Debt | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 50) |
June 9, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4302 | Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61) |
June 9, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4326 | Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41) |
Sept. 29, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4676 | Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
2/04 | H J Res 45 | Reinstating PAYGO Budget Rule | Motion Agreed - House (233 - 187) |
1/28 | H J Res 45 | Increasing the Public Debt Limit and Reinstating PAYGO | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 39) |
9/29 | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
9/30 | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 194) |
12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
7/22 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
7/21 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
7/20 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40) |
5/28 | HR 4213 | Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204) |
3/10 | HR 4213 | Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
4/15 | HR 4851 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (289 - 112) |
4/15 | HR 4851 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38) |
7/27 | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (308 - 114) |
5/27 | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28) |
7/01 | HR 4899 | Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (100 - 321) |
7/01 | HR 4899 | Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (239 - 182) |
7/01 | HR 5618 | Unemployment Benefits Extension | Bill Passed - House (270 - 153) |
12/08 | HR 5987 | Seniors Protection Act | Bill Failed - House (254 - 153) |
11/18 | HR 6419 | Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits | Bill Failed - House (258 - 154) |
12/08 | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
1/21 | S Amdt 3301 | Ending the Troubled Asset Relief Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 45) |
1/26 | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
3/03 | S Amdt 3353 | Payment to Social Security Recipients | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 50) |
5/11 | S Amdt 3839 | Termination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conservatorships | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
5/18 | S Amdt 4051 | Prohibiting Funding of State and Local Governments to Prevent Defaulting on Debt | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 50) |
6/09 | S Amdt 4302 | Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61) |
6/09 | S Amdt 4326 | Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41) |
9/29 | S Amdt 4676 | Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
11/30 | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |