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. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
Dec. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
Dec. 21, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 14) |
Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107) |
Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107) |
Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Conference Report Adopted - House (315 - 107) |
Dec. 4, 2012 | National | Treaty Doc. 112-7 | The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Treaty Ratification Failed - Senate (61 - 38) |
Nov. 30, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
Nov. 30, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3025 | Requires Sufficient Sizing of Civilian and Contract Services Workforces | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 53) |
Nov. 30, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3025 | Requires Sufficient Sizing of Civilian and Contract Services Workforces | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 53) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3096 | Accelerated Transition of US Military Operations to the Government of Afghanistan | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 33) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3058 | Expands TRICARE Coverage of Autism | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 29) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3018 | Prohibits the Indefinite Detention of Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2985 | Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37) |
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3095 | Repeals the Prohibition on Biofuel Refinery Construction | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
Nov. 16, 2012 | National | HR 6156 | Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (365 - 43) |
Nov. 14, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
Nov. 14, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
Sept. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
Sept. 13, 2012 | National | HR 6365 | National Security and Job Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 196) |
Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
Aug. 2, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
Aug. 2, 2012 | National | S 3414 | Cybersecurity Act of 2012 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
July 19, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1416 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act | Amendment Adopted - House (247 - 166) |
July 19, 2012 | National | HR 5856 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - House (326 - 90) |
June 20, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2454 | Prohibits Food Aid to North Korea Unless Waived by President | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
June 19, 2012 | National | HR 2578 | Conservation and Economic Growth Act | Bill Passed - House (232 - 188) |
June 7, 2012 | National | HR 5855 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2013 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 182) |
May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2107 | Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54) |
May 18, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
May 18, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
May 18, 2012 | National | HR 4310 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 | Bill Passed - House (299 - 120) |
May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1140 | Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162) |
May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
May 17, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1103 | Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303) |
May 17, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1103 | Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303) |
May 15, 2012 | National | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
May 10, 2012 | National | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
May 9, 2012 | National | HR 2072 | Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 93) |
April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
March 20, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1836 | Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 44) |