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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 8, 2012 | National | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
April 27, 2012 | National | HR 4628 | Extending Student Loan Interest Rates | Bill Passed - House (215 - 195) |
April 26, 2012 | National | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
April 25, 2012 | National | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
April 19, 2012 | National | HR 9 | Income Tax Deduction for Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (235 - 173) |
April 18, 2012 | National | HR 4348 | Extension of Surface Transportation Funding and Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline | Bill Passed - House (293 - 127) |
April 16, 2012 | National | S 2230 | Establishes a Minimum 30 Percent Tax Rate for High-Income Taxpayers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 45) |
March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
March 29, 2012 | National | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
March 20, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1836 | Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44) |
March 8, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
March 1, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1520 | Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48) |
Feb. 29, 2012 | National | HR 1837 | Water Resources in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley | Bill Passed - House (246 - 175) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | National | HR 2117 | Repeals Department of Education Regulations | Bill Passed - House (303 - 114) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
Feb. 16, 2012 | National | HR 3408 | Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources | Bill Passed - House (237 - 187) |
Feb. 9, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (417 - 2) |
Feb. 8, 2012 | National | HR 3521 | Authorizes the President to Line-Item Veto Certain Legislation | Bill Passed - House (254 - 173) |
Feb. 6, 2012 | National | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20) |
Feb. 3, 2012 | National | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (248 - 169) |
Feb. 3, 2012 | National | HR 3578 | Amends Budget Baseline | Bill Passed - House (235 - 177) |
Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1491 | Requires Disclosure of Financial Transactions by Executive Branch Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41) |
Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
5/08 | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
4/27 | HR 4628 | Extending Student Loan Interest Rates | Bill Passed - House (215 - 195) |
4/26 | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
4/26 | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
4/25 | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
4/19 | HR 9 | Income Tax Deduction for Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (235 - 173) |
4/18 | HR 4348 | Extension of Surface Transportation Funding and Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline | Bill Passed - House (293 - 127) |
4/16 | S 2230 | Establishes a Minimum 30 Percent Tax Rate for High-Income Taxpayers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 45) |
3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
3/29 | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
3/20 | S Amdt 1836 | Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44) |
3/08 | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
3/01 | S Amdt 1520 | Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48) |
2/29 | HR 1837 | Water Resources in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley | Bill Passed - House (246 - 175) |
2/28 | HR 2117 | Repeals Department of Education Regulations | Bill Passed - House (303 - 114) |
2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
2/16 | HR 3408 | Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources | Bill Passed - House (237 - 187) |
2/09 | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (417 - 2) |
2/08 | HR 3521 | Authorizes the President to Line-Item Veto Certain Legislation | Bill Passed - House (254 - 173) |
2/06 | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20) |
2/03 | HR 658 | Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (248 - 169) |
2/03 | HR 3578 | Amends Budget Baseline | Bill Passed - House (235 - 177) |
2/02 | S Amdt 1491 | Requires Disclosure of Financial Transactions by Executive Branch Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41) |
2/02 | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |