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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 4, 2014 National HR 5759 Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (219 - 197)
Nov. 19, 2014 National HR 4012 Secret Science Reform Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (237 - 190)
Nov. 18, 2014 National S 2685 USA FREEDOM Act of 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
Nov. 18, 2014 National HR 1422 EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (229 - 191)
Nov. 18, 2014 National S 2280 A Bill to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline Bill Failed - Senate (59 - 41)
Nov. 14, 2014 National HR 5682 To Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline Bill Passed - House (252 - 161)
Sept. 18, 2014 National H J Res 124 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
Sept. 17, 2014 National H Amdt 1141 Authorizes Aid to Syrian Opposition Amendment Adopted - House (273 - 156)
Sept. 17, 2014 National H J Res 124 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Joint Resolution Passed - House (319 - 108)
Sept. 11, 2014 National S J Res 19 A Joint Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Relating to Contributions and Expenditures Intended to Affect Elections Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42)
Sept. 11, 2014 National HR 3522 Employee Health Care Protection Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (247 - 167)
Sept. 9, 2014 National H Res 644 Condemning and Disapproving of the Failure of the Obama Administration to Comply with the Lawful Statutory Requirement to Notify Congress before Transferring Individuals Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Expressing Concern About the National Security Risks Over the Transfer of Five Taliban Leaders and the Repercussions of Negotiating with Terrorists Resolution Passed - House (249 - 163)
Sept. 9, 2014 National HR 5078 Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (262 - 152)
Aug. 1, 2014 National HR 5272 To Prohibit Certain Actions with Respect to Deferred Action for Aliens Not Lawfully Present in the United States, and for Other Purposes Bill Passed - House (216 - 192)
Aug. 1, 2014 National HR 5230 Making Supplemental Appropriations for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2014, and for Other Purposes Bill Passed - House (223 - 189)
July 31, 2014 National HR 5021 Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (81 - 13)
July 30, 2014 National S 2569 Bring Jobs Home Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42)
July 30, 2014 National H Res 676 Providing for Authority to Initiate Litigation for Actions by the President or Other Executive Branch Officials Inconsistent with Their Duties Under the Constitution of the United States Resolution Passed - House (225 - 201)
July 29, 2014 National HR 5021 Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014  Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 18)
July 29, 2014 National S Amdt 3584 Transportation Empowerment Act Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 69)
July 29, 2014 National S Amdt 3583 Appropriates Funds to the Highway Trust Fund Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 31)
July 29, 2014 National S Amdt 3585 Exempts Infrastructure Damaged by Natural Disasters from Environmental Reviews Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 50)
July 16, 2014 National S 2578 Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
July 16, 2014 National H Amdt 1098 Prohibits District of Columbia from Implementing Certain Firearm Laws Amendment Adopted - House (241 - 181)
July 16, 2014 National H Amdt 1093 Prohibits Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from Preventing States from Implementing Broadband Internet Access Service Laws Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 200)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/04 HR 5759 Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (219 - 197)
11/19 HR 4012 Secret Science Reform Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (237 - 190)
11/18 S 2685 USA FREEDOM Act of 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
11/18 HR 1422 EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (229 - 191)
11/18 S 2280 A Bill to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline Bill Failed - Senate (59 - 41)
11/14 HR 5682 To Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline Bill Passed - House (252 - 161)
9/18 H J Res 124 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
9/17 H Amdt 1141 Authorizes Aid to Syrian Opposition Amendment Adopted - House (273 - 156)
9/17 H J Res 124 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Joint Resolution Passed - House (319 - 108)
9/11 S J Res 19 A Joint Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Relating to Contributions and Expenditures Intended to Affect Elections Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42)
9/11 HR 3522 Employee Health Care Protection Act of 2013 Bill Passed - House (247 - 167)
9/09 H Res 644 Condemning and Disapproving of the Failure of the Obama Administration to Comply with the Lawful Statutory Requirement to Notify Congress before Transferring Individuals Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Expressing Concern About the National Security Risks Over the Transfer of Five Taliban Leaders and the Repercussions of Negotiating with Terrorists Resolution Passed - House (249 - 163)
9/09 HR 5078 Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (262 - 152)
8/01 HR 5272 To Prohibit Certain Actions with Respect to Deferred Action for Aliens Not Lawfully Present in the United States, and for Other Purposes Bill Passed - House (216 - 192)
8/01 HR 5230 Making Supplemental Appropriations for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2014, and for Other Purposes Bill Passed - House (223 - 189)
7/31 HR 5021 Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (81 - 13)
7/30 S 2569 Bring Jobs Home Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42)
7/30 H Res 676 Providing for Authority to Initiate Litigation for Actions by the President or Other Executive Branch Officials Inconsistent with Their Duties Under the Constitution of the United States Resolution Passed - House (225 - 201)
7/29 HR 5021 Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014  Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 18)
7/29 S Amdt 3584 Transportation Empowerment Act Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 69)
7/29 S Amdt 3583 Appropriates Funds to the Highway Trust Fund Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 31)
7/29 S Amdt 3585 Exempts Infrastructure Damaged by Natural Disasters from Environmental Reviews Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 50)
7/16 S 2578 Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
7/16 H Amdt 1098 Prohibits District of Columbia from Implementing Certain Firearm Laws Amendment Adopted - House (241 - 181)
7/16 H Amdt 1093 Prohibits Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from Preventing States from Implementing Broadband Internet Access Service Laws Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 200)

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