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
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)

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