Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 20, 2011 National HR 3630 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193)
Dec. 14, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
Dec. 13, 2011 National HR 3630 Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (234 - 193)
Dec. 2, 2011 National HR 3010 Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies Bill Passed - House (253 - 167)
Nov. 30, 2011 National HR 3094 Labor Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (235 - 188)
Nov. 29, 2011 National HR 3012 Repeals Certain Green Cards Limitations Bill Passed - House (389 - 15)
Oct. 27, 2011 National HR 2576 Requires Inclusion of Social Security Benefits in Calculation of Modified Adjusted Gross Income Bill Passed - House (262 - 157)
Oct. 26, 2011 National HR 1904 Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 Bill Passed - House (235 - 186)
Sept. 14, 2011 National H J Res 77 Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186)
June 3, 2011 National H Con Res 51 Removing Armed Forces from Libya Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265)
June 3, 2011 National H Res 292 Ground Forces in Libya Resolution Passed - House (268 - 145)
June 3, 2011 National H Con Res 51 Removing Armed Forces from Libya Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265)
June 2, 2011 National H Amdt 398 Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Transportation Security Administration Collective Bargaining Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 205)
April 1, 2011 National HR 1255 Government Shutdown Prevention Act Bill Passed - House (221 - 202)
April 1, 2011 National HR 1255 Government Shutdown Prevention Act Bill Passed - House (221 - 202)
April 1, 2011 National HR 658 Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (223 - 196)
March 29, 2011 National HR 839 Terminating the Home Affordable Modification Program Bill Passed - House (252 - 170)
March 29, 2011 National HR 839 Terminating the Home Affordable Modification Program Bill Passed - House (252 - 170)
Feb. 18, 2011 National H Amdt 95 Prohibiting Use of Federal Funds For Planned Parenthood Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 185)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/20 HR 3630 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193)
12/14 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
12/13 HR 3630 Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (234 - 193)
12/02 HR 3010 Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies Bill Passed - House (253 - 167)
11/30 HR 3094 Labor Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (235 - 188)
11/29 HR 3012 Repeals Certain Green Cards Limitations Bill Passed - House (389 - 15)
10/27 HR 2576 Requires Inclusion of Social Security Benefits in Calculation of Modified Adjusted Gross Income Bill Passed - House (262 - 157)
10/26 HR 1904 Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 Bill Passed - House (235 - 186)
9/14 H J Res 77 Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186)
6/03 H Con Res 51 Removing Armed Forces from Libya Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265)
6/03 H Res 292 Ground Forces in Libya Resolution Passed - House (268 - 145)
6/03 H Con Res 51 Removing Armed Forces from Libya Joint Resolution Failed - House (148 - 265)
6/02 H Amdt 398 Prohibiting the Use of Funds for Transportation Security Administration Collective Bargaining Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 205)
4/01 HR 1255 Government Shutdown Prevention Act Bill Passed - House (221 - 202)
4/01 HR 1255 Government Shutdown Prevention Act Bill Passed - House (221 - 202)
4/01 HR 658 Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (223 - 196)
3/29 HR 839 Terminating the Home Affordable Modification Program Bill Passed - House (252 - 170)
3/29 HR 839 Terminating the Home Affordable Modification Program Bill Passed - House (252 - 170)
2/18 H Amdt 95 Prohibiting Use of Federal Funds For Planned Parenthood Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 185)

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