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
Sept. 28, 2016 National S 2040 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act Veto Override Passed - House (348 - 77)
Sept. 28, 2016 National S 2040 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act Veto Override Passed - Senate (97 - 1)
Sept. 28, 2016 National HR 5325 Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (342 - 85)
Sept. 28, 2016 National HR 5325 Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
Sept. 28, 2016 National HR 6094 Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act Bill Passed - House (246 - 177)
Sept. 27, 2016 National HR 954 CO-OP Consumer Protection Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (258 - 165)
Sept. 15, 2016 National HR 5351 To Prohibit the Transfer of Any Individual Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Bill Passed - House (244 - 174)
Sept. 14, 2016 National HR 5620 VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (310 - 116)
July 13, 2016 National S 304 Conscience Protection Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (245 - 182)
July 7, 2016 National S 764 Establishes Labeling Standards for Genetically Modified Foods Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (63 - 30)
July 7, 2016 National HR 4361 Government Reform and Improvement Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (241 - 181)
July 6, 2016 National S 2193 Stop Illegal Reentry Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 42)
June 29, 2016 National S 2328 Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (68 - 30)
June 23, 2016 National HR 2577 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 Conference Report Adopted - House (239 - 171)
June 20, 2016 National S Amdt 4751 Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act of 2016 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
June 20, 2016 National S Amdt 4749 Authorizes the Attorney General to Delay Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
June 20, 2016 National S Amdt 4750 Fix Gun Checks Act of 2016 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (44 - 56)
June 20, 2016 National S Amdt 4720 Prohibits the Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53)
June 9, 2016 National HR 5278 Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) Bill Passed - House (297 - 127)
May 25, 2016 National H Amdt 1128 Prohibits Use of Funds for Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 195)
May 24, 2016 National H J Res 88 Disapproving the Rule Submitted by the Department of Labor Relating to the Definition of the Term "Fiduciary" Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 41)
May 24, 2016 National HR 897 Zika Vector Control Act Bill Passed - House (258 - 156)
May 19, 2016 National H Amdt 1079 Prohibits Use of Funds for Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Amendment Rejected - House (212 - 213)
April 28, 2016 National H J Res 88 Disapproving the Rule Submitted by the Department of Labor Relating to the Definition of the Term "Fiduciary" Joint Resolution Passed - House (234 - 183)
April 15, 2016 National HR 2666 No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act Bill Passed - House (241 - 173)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/28 S 2040 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act Veto Override Passed - House (348 - 77)
9/28 S 2040 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act Veto Override Passed - Senate (97 - 1)
9/28 HR 5325 Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (342 - 85)
9/28 HR 5325 Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
9/28 HR 6094 Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act Bill Passed - House (246 - 177)
9/27 HR 954 CO-OP Consumer Protection Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (258 - 165)
9/15 HR 5351 To Prohibit the Transfer of Any Individual Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Bill Passed - House (244 - 174)
9/14 HR 5620 VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (310 - 116)
7/13 S 304 Conscience Protection Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (245 - 182)
7/07 S 764 Establishes Labeling Standards for Genetically Modified Foods Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (63 - 30)
7/07 HR 4361 Government Reform and Improvement Act of 2016 Bill Passed - House (241 - 181)
7/06 S 2193 Stop Illegal Reentry Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 42)
6/29 S 2328 Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (68 - 30)
6/23 HR 2577 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 Conference Report Adopted - House (239 - 171)
6/20 S Amdt 4751 Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act of 2016 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
6/20 S Amdt 4749 Authorizes the Attorney General to Delay Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
6/20 S Amdt 4750 Fix Gun Checks Act of 2016 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (44 - 56)
6/20 S Amdt 4720 Prohibits the Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53)
6/09 HR 5278 Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) Bill Passed - House (297 - 127)
5/25 H Amdt 1128 Prohibits Use of Funds for Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 195)
5/24 H J Res 88 Disapproving the Rule Submitted by the Department of Labor Relating to the Definition of the Term "Fiduciary" Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 41)
5/24 HR 897 Zika Vector Control Act Bill Passed - House (258 - 156)
5/19 H Amdt 1079 Prohibits Use of Funds for Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Amendment Rejected - House (212 - 213)
4/28 H J Res 88 Disapproving the Rule Submitted by the Department of Labor Relating to the Definition of the Term "Fiduciary" Joint Resolution Passed - House (234 - 183)
4/15 HR 2666 No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act Bill Passed - House (241 - 173)

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