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
Nov. 21, 2013 National S 1197 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44)
Nov. 7, 2013 National S 815 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
Nov. 7, 2013 National S Amdt 2013 Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
Nov. 4, 2013 National S 815 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30)
Oct. 29, 2013 National S J Res 26 A Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit, as Submitted Under Section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 on October 17, 2013 Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
Oct. 16, 2013 National HR 2775 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
Sept. 30, 2013 National H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
Sept. 27, 2013 National H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44)
June 27, 2013 National S 744 Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32)
June 18, 2013 National S Amdt 1228 Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58)
June 18, 2013 National S Amdt 1197 Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54)
June 11, 2013 National S 744 Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15)
June 10, 2013 National S 954 Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 27)
March 20, 2013 National HR 933 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 26)
March 14, 2013 National S Amdt 66 Temporarily Prohibits the Hiring of Nonessential Federal Employees Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
Feb. 26, 2013 National PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 41)
Feb. 26, 2013 National PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate (71 - 27)
Feb. 14, 2013 National PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 40)
Feb. 12, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
Feb. 12, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
Feb. 12, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
Feb. 12, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
Jan. 31, 2013 National HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/21 S 1197 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44)
11/07 S 815 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
11/07 S Amdt 2013 Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
11/04 S 815 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30)
10/29 S J Res 26 A Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the President's Exercise of Authority to Suspend the Debt Limit, as Submitted Under Section 1002(b) of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 on October 17, 2013 Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
10/16 HR 2775 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
9/30 H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46)
9/27 H J Res 59 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44)
6/27 S 744 Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32)
6/18 S Amdt 1228 Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58)
6/18 S Amdt 1197 Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54)
6/11 S 744 Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15)
6/10 S 954 Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 27)
3/20 HR 933 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 26)
3/14 S Amdt 66 Temporarily Prohibits the Hiring of Nonessential Federal Employees Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54)
2/26 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 41)
2/26 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate (71 - 27)
2/14 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 40)
2/12 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
2/12 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
2/12 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
2/12 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
1/31 HR 325 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34)

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