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. 20, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
Dec. 17, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
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) |
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) |
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) |
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) |
Dec. 13, 2011 | National | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
Dec. 7, 2011 | National | HR 10 | Congressional Approval of Regulations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 184) |
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. 18, 2011 | National | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
Nov. 3, 2011 | National | S 1769 | Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations and Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
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. 11, 2011 | National | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
Oct. 4, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66) |
Sept. 26, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12) |
Sept. 23, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
Sept. 23, 2011 | National | S Amdt 655 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36) |
Sept. 23, 2011 | National | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
Sept. 21, 2011 | National | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230) |
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) |
Aug. 2, 2011 | National | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26) |
Aug. 1, 2011 | National | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
July 31, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/20 | HR 3630 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193) |
12/17 | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
12/14 | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
12/14 | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
12/14 | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
12/14 | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
12/13 | HR 3630 | Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (234 - 193) |
12/07 | HR 10 | Congressional Approval of Regulations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 184) |
12/01 | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
12/01 | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
11/18 | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
11/10 | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
11/03 | S 1769 | Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations and Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
10/27 | HR 2576 | Requires Inclusion of Social Security Benefits in Calculation of Modified Adjusted Gross Income | Bill Passed - House (262 - 157) |
10/11 | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
10/04 | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66) |
9/26 | HR 2608 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12) |
9/23 | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203) |
9/23 | S Amdt 655 | Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36) |
9/23 | H Amdt 800 | Requires the EPA to Consider Costs and Feasibility of Air Quality Standards | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
9/21 | HR 2608 | Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230) |
9/14 | H J Res 77 | Disapproval of the President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Joint Resolution Passed - House (232 - 186) |
8/02 | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26) |
8/01 | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
7/31 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |