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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 23, 2011 National HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (304 - 117)
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)
Sept. 8, 2011 National HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9)
July 20, 2011 National HR 2553 Airport and Airway Extension Act Bill Passed - House (243 - 177)
Dec. 15, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
Oct. 4, 2011 National HR 2608 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66)
Dec. 17, 2011 National HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 32)
Dec. 14, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
Nov. 17, 2011 National HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30)
Sept. 26, 2011 National HR 2608 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12)
July 31, 2011 National S 627 Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Nov. 17, 2011 National HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121)
Dec. 16, 2011 National HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (296 - 121)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153)
Dec. 20, 2011 National HR 3630 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193)
Feb. 17, 2011 National HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 143)
Sept. 23, 2011 National HR 2608 Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203)
July 29, 2011 National S 627 Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) Bill Tabled - Senate (59 - 41)
April 9, 2011 National HR 1363 2011 Department of Defense Budget and Additional Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (348 - 70)
Sept. 21, 2011 National HR 2608 Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230)
Aug. 2, 2011 National S 365 Budget Control Act of 2011 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
Feb. 15, 2011 National HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
July 22, 2011 National HR 2560 Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 46)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/23 HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (304 - 117)
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)
9/08 HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9)
7/20 HR 2553 Airport and Airway Extension Act Bill Passed - House (243 - 177)
12/15 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
10/04 HR 2608 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (352 - 66)
12/17 HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 32)
12/14 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
11/17 HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30)
9/26 HR 2608 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12)
7/31 S 627 Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
11/17 HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121)
12/16 HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (296 - 121)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153)
12/20 HR 3630 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193)
2/17 HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 143)
9/23 HR 2608 Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 203)
7/29 S 627 Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) Bill Tabled - Senate (59 - 41)
4/09 HR 1363 2011 Department of Defense Budget and Additional Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (348 - 70)
9/21 HR 2608 Stopgap Spending and Disaster Relief Concurrence Vote Failed - House (195 - 230)
8/02 S 365 Budget Control Act of 2011 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
2/15 HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
7/22 HR 2560 Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 46)

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