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. 1, 2011 | National | HR 527 | Increases Requirements for Agencies that Promulgate Regulations Affecting Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (263 - 159) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | HR 3463 | Repeals Taxpayer Financing of Presidential Election Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (235 - 190) |
Dec. 2, 2011 | National | HR 3010 | Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies | Bill Passed - House (253 - 167) |
Dec. 7, 2011 | National | HR 10 | Congressional Approval of Regulations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 184) |
Dec. 8, 2011 | National | HR 1633 | Limits Regulation of Farm Dust | Bill Passed - House (268 - 150) |
June 3, 2011 | National | H Con Res 51 | Removing Armed Forces from Libya | Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265) |
July 31, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
Sept. 21, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230) |
Dec. 6, 2011 | National | PN 5 | Nomination of Caitlin Joan Halligan to the District of Columbia Circuit Court | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45) |
May 25, 2011 | National | H Con Res 34 | 2011-2012 Budget | Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 57) |
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) |
March 9, 2011 | National | HR 1 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Failed - Senate (44 - 56) |
Oct. 11, 2011 | National | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
June 21, 2011 | National | S 782 | Economic Development Revitalization Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 51) |
June 14, 2011 | National | S Amdt 436 | Repeals the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 59) |
Oct. 20, 2011 | National | S Amdt 769 | Authorizes Individuals to Import FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada | 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) |
Feb. 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 28 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
Feb. 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 13 | Repealing the Federal Health Care Law | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
Nov. 3, 2011 | National | S 1769 | Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations and Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 853 | Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors | Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234) |
Nov. 3, 2011 | National | H Amdt 849 | Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234) |
Nov. 3, 2011 | National | S 1786 | Long-Term Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011 | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
Feb. 19, 2011 | National | H Amdt 155 | Prohibits Use of Funds for Step Increase for General Schedule Employees | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 230) |
Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S J Res 27 | Disapproval of EPA Cross-Border Pollution Rule | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56) |
Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S J Res 6 | Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
Feb. 18, 2011 | National | H Amdt 92 | Prohibiting the Use of Federal Funds for NASCAR Sponsorships | Amendment Rejected - House (148 - 281) |
March 9, 2011 | National | S Amdt 149 | Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58) |
March 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 115 | Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40) |
Nov. 29, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1107 | Removes Provisions Requiring Military Custody of al-Qaeda Suspects | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60) |
Nov. 29, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1064 | Repeals Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq | Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 67) |
May 25, 2011 | National | S Con Res 21 | 2012 Budget | Motion Rejected - Senate (42 - 55) |
July 12, 2011 | National | HR 2417 | Repeals Energy Efficiency Standards for Incandescent Light Bulbs | Motion Rejected - House (233 - 193) |
Feb. 15, 2011 | National | H Amdt 13 | Reducing Navy and Air Force Aircraft Procurement | Amendment Rejected - House (105 - 326) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
May 18, 2011 | National | S 953 | Offshore Production and Safety Act | Motion Rejected - Senate (42 - 57) |
Feb. 15, 2011 | National | S Amdt 14 | Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
May 17, 2011 | National | S 940 | Amending Oil Company Tax Laws | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 48) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1125 | Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
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 1274 | Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 59) |
Oct. 18, 2011 | National | S Amdt 740 | Repeals Funding for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 55) |
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 634 | Sale of F-16 Aircraft to Taiwan | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 48) |
June 9, 2011 | National | S Amdt 390 | Amending Small Business Regulations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
June 8, 2011 | National | S Amdt 392 | Debit Card Transactions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (54 - 45) |
June 2, 2011 | National | H Amdt 385 | Prohibiting Funds From Being Used in Contradiction to the War Powers Resolution | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 213) |
May 31, 2011 | National | HR 1954 | Increasing the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - House (97 - 318) |
June 23, 2011 | National | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
Sept. 15, 2011 | National | S Amdt 613 | Reducing Appropriations for Foreign Assistance Programs | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 645 | Repeals the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program for Firms | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54) |
Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 625 | Reducing and Extending Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
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) |
June 24, 2011 | National | H J Res 68 | Authorizes Limited Use of US Armed Forces in Libya | Joint Resolution Failed - House (123 - 295) |
Nov. 18, 2011 | National | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
June 24, 2011 | National | HR 2278 | Limits the Use of Funds in Support of NATO Operations in Libya | Bill Failed - House (180 - 238) |
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) |
March 17, 2011 | National | H Con Res 28 | Removing Troops from Afghanistan | Joint Resolution Failed - House (93 - 321) |
Feb. 8, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Failed - House (277 - 148) |