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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nov. 21, 2013 | National | S 1197 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
Nov. 21, 2013 | National | S 1197 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
Nov. 21, 2013 | National | S 1197 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
Nov. 19, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2255 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
Nov. 19, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2175 | Authorizes the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to the United States | Amendment Rejected - Senate (52 - 46) |
Nov. 19, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2255 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
Oct. 10, 2013 | National | H J Res 79 | Border Security and Enforcement Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Joint Resolution Passed - House (249 - 175) |
Oct. 10, 2013 | National | H J Res 79 | Border Security and Enforcement Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Joint Resolution Passed - House (249 - 175) |
Oct. 3, 2013 | National | HR 3230 | Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act | Bill Passed - House (265 - 160) |
Sept. 18, 2013 | National | H Amdt 463 | Amends the Definition of "Strategic and Critical Minerals" | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 241) |
Sept. 18, 2013 | National | H Amdt 466 | Requires Mine Operators to Include the Cost of Cleanup in Financial Insurance | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 235) |
Sept. 18, 2013 | National | HR 761 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (246 - 178) |
July 24, 2013 | National | H Amdt 413 | Prohibits the National Security Agency from Collecting Records Under the PATRIOT Act | Amendment Rejected - House (205 - 217) |
July 24, 2013 | National | HR 2397 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 109) |
July 24, 2013 | National | HR 2397 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 109) |
July 23, 2013 | National | H Amdt 375 | Prohibits the Use of Funds to Appoint Chaplains Without an Endorsing Agency | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173) |
July 23, 2013 | National | H Amdt 375 | Prohibits the Use of Funds to Appoint Chaplains Without an Endorsing Agency | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173) |
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 18, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1197 | Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border | Amendment Rejected - Senate (39 - 54) |
June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 108) |
June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 108) |
June 14, 2013 | National | H Amdt 167 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen | Amendment Adopted - House (236 - 188) |
June 14, 2013 | National | H Amdt 168 | Establishes Framework for the Closing of the Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by December 1, 2014 | Amendment Rejected - House (174 - 249) |
June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Motion Rejected - House (194 - 225) |
June 14, 2013 | National | H Amdt 167 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to Yemen | Amendment Adopted - House (236 - 188) |
June 11, 2013 | National | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15) |
June 6, 2013 | National | H Amdt 136 | Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 201) |
June 6, 2013 | National | HR 2217 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 182) |
June 6, 2013 | National | HR 2217 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 182) |
June 4, 2013 | National | H Amdt 84 | Authorizes Funds for the Construction of United States Prison for Prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba | Amendment Rejected - House (170 - 254) |
May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 69 | Requires Threat Assessment of Pipeline Vulnerabilities to a Terrorist Attack | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 239) |
May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 75 | Requires All Oil and Refined Fuels Transported Through the Keystone XL Pipeline to be Used Only in The United States | Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 255) |
April 18, 2013 | National | HR 624 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (288 - 127) |
April 18, 2013 | National | HR 624 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (288 - 127) |
March 23, 2013 | National | S Amdt 139 | Prohibits the United States From Entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
March 23, 2013 | National | S Amdt 139 | Prohibits the United States From Entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
March 21, 2013 | National | HR 933 | Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (318 - 109) |
March 20, 2013 | National | HR 933 | Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 26) |
March 7, 2013 | National | PN 48 | Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 34) |
March 7, 2013 | National | PN 48 | Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 34) |
March 6, 2013 | National | HR 933 | Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - House (267 - 151) |
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) |