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. 18, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (64 - 36) |
Dec. 12, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (332 - 94) |
Sept. 30, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46) |
Sept. 30, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 201) |
Sept. 30, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Motion Agreed - Senate (54 - 46) |
Feb. 26, 2013 | National | PN 34 | Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 41) |
March 21, 2013 | National | HR 933 | Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (318 - 109) |
Oct. 16, 2013 | National | HR 2775 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 144) |
Jan. 1, 2013 | National | HR 8 | Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (257 - 167) |
Sept. 29, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (248 - 174) |
Feb. 26, 2013 | National | PN 34 | Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense | Cloture Invoked - Senate (71 - 27) |
Sept. 27, 2013 | National | H J Res 59 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
Jan. 1, 2013 | National | HR 8 | Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 8) |
Oct. 16, 2013 | National | HR 2775 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
July 24, 2013 | National | HR 1911 | Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
March 20, 2013 | National | HR 933 | Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 26) |
June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 108) |
Feb. 28, 2013 | National | S 47 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (286 - 138) |
May 6, 2013 | National | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 27) |
Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
June 27, 2013 | National | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 32) |
Jan. 28, 2013 | National | HR 152 | Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
Jan. 31, 2013 | National | HR 325 | No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
March 7, 2013 | National | PN 48 | Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 34) |
June 6, 2013 | National | S 953 | Student Loan Affordability Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 46) |
April 25, 2013 | National | S 743 | Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (63 - 30) |
Feb. 14, 2013 | National | PN 34 | Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 40) |
Nov. 21, 2013 | National | S 1197 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 44) |
Oct. 12, 2013 | National | S 1569 | Default Prevention Act of 2013 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
June 6, 2013 | National | S 1003 | Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 57) |
June 11, 2013 | National | S 744 | Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (82 - 15) |
Nov. 4, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |
Dec. 5, 2013 | National | H Amdt 524 | Limits Covered Customers to Businesses With Less Than $25 Million in Revenue | Amendment Rejected - House (144 - 266) |
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 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 1228 | Requires US-VISIT System to be Established at Every Port of Entry | Amendment Rejected - Senate (36 - 58) |
June 19, 2013 | National | H Amdt 176 | Restores $20.5 Billion in Appropriations for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program | Amendment Rejected - House (188 - 234) |
June 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 227 | Amends the Federal Sugar Program | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 221) |
June 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 231 | Authorizes States to Require Federal Welfare Work Requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 198) |
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) |
Jan. 15, 2013 | National | H Amdt 4 | Offsets Cost of Disaster Relief Appropriations Through Discretionary Budget Cuts | Amendment Rejected - House (162 - 258) |
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 24, 2013 | National | S Amdt 1778 | Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
July 24, 2013 | National | H Amdt 413 | Prohibits the National Security Agency from Collecting Records Under the PATRIOT Act | Amendment Rejected - House (205 - 217) |
April 17, 2013 | National | S Amdt 714 | Limits Firearm Magazine Capacity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 54) |
April 17, 2013 | National | S Amdt 711 | Prohibits the Sale of Assault Weapons | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
April 17, 2013 | National | S Amdt 719 | Authorizes Reciprocity for the Carrying of Certain Concealed Firearms | Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 43) |
Aug. 2, 2013 | National | H Amdt 450 | Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 185) |
April 17, 2013 | National | S Amdt 715 | Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act | Amendment Rejected - Senate (54 - 46) |
Aug. 2, 2013 | National | H Amdt 448 | Requires Congressional Approval Prior to Establishing a Tax on Carbon Emissions | Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 176) |
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 | H Amdt 463 | Amends the Definition of "Strategic and Critical Minerals" | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 241) |
Feb. 28, 2013 | National | H Amdt 23 | Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act | Amendment Rejected - House (166 - 257) |
March 13, 2013 | National | S Amdt 30 | To Prohibit the Use of Funds to Carry Out the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 52) |
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 67 | Requires a Finding be Added Concerning Oil Sand Crudes | Amendment Rejected - House (146 - 269) |
May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 71 | Repeals Requirement that Secretary of the Army Approve All Keystone XL Pipeline Permit Applications | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234) |
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) |
May 22, 2013 | National | H Amdt 72 | Increases Time to File a Claim Under the Northern Route Approval Act from 60 Days to 1 Year | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 234) |
March 14, 2013 | National | S Amdt 66 | Temporarily Prohibits the Hiring of Nonessential Federal Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
May 23, 2013 | National | S Amdt 953 | Limits Subsidy Payments for Individuals with Incomes More Than $750,000 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 33) |
May 23, 2013 | National | S Amdt 923 | Prohibits the Payment of the Premium for an Insurance Policy For Tobacco | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 52) |
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) |
June 5, 2013 | National | H Amdt 121 | Delays National Flood Insurance Premiums Increases | Amendment Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
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) |
June 6, 2013 | National | H Amdt 136 | Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 201) |
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. 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. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 499 | Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to Require Certain Findings for Categorical Exclusions | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 228) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 507 | Specifies the Authority of the Secretary of Interior on the Regulation of Methane Emissions | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 230) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 503 | Requires a Report on the Effect of Flooding on Oil and Gas Facilities | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 221) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 504 | Appropriates $10 Million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission | Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 226) |
Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 498 | Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222) |
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) |