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
June 20, 2018 National HR 3 Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act Bill Failed - Senate (48 - 50)
June 20, 2018 National HR 5797 IMD CARE Act Bill Passed - House (261 - 155)
June 18, 2018 National HR 5515 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 10)
June 15, 2018 National HR 2851 SITSA Act Bill Passed - House (239 - 142)
June 14, 2018 National HR 5735 THRIVE Act Bill Passed - House (230 - 173)
June 7, 2018 National HR 3 Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act Bill Passed - House (210 - 206)
May 24, 2018 National HR 5515 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 Bill Passed - House (351 - 66)
May 22, 2018 National S 204 Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 Bill Passed - House (250 - 169)
May 22, 2018 National S 2155 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act Bill Passed - House (258 - 159)
May 22, 2018 National HR 5682 FIRST STEP Act Bill Passed - House (360 - 59)
May 17, 2018 National PN 1857 Nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (54 - 45)
May 17, 2018 National PN 1857 Nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Cloture Invoked - Senate (54 - 44)
May 16, 2018 National S J Res 52 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to "Restoring Internet Freedom" Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
May 16, 2018 National HR 5698 Protect and Serve Act of 2018 Bill Passed - House (382 - 35)
May 10, 2018 National HR 3053 Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018 Bill Passed - House (340 - 72)
May 9, 2018 National HR 5645 Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act of 2018 Bill Passed - House (230 - 185)
May 9, 2018 National HR 2152 Citizens' Right to Know Act of 2018 Bill Passed - House (221 - 197)
May 8, 2018 National S J Res 57 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act" Bill Passed - House (234 - 175)
April 27, 2018 National H Res 856 Raising a Question of the Privileges of the House Bill Tabled - House (215 - 171)
April 26, 2018 National PN 1761 Nomination of Mike Pompeo to Secretary of State (57 - 42)
April 26, 2018 National PN 1761 Nomination of Mike Pompeo to Secretary of State Cloture Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
April 25, 2018 National HR 3144 To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, and for other purposes. Bill Passed - House (225 - 189)
April 19, 2018 National PN 1359 Nomination of James Bridenstine to Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (50 - 49)
April 18, 2018 National PN 1359 Nomination of James Bridenstine to Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 48)
April 18, 2018 National S J Res 57 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act" Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 47)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/20 HR 3 Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act Bill Failed - Senate (48 - 50)
6/20 HR 5797 IMD CARE Act Bill Passed - House (261 - 155)
6/18 HR 5515 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 10)
6/15 HR 2851 SITSA Act Bill Passed - House (239 - 142)
6/14 HR 5735 THRIVE Act Bill Passed - House (230 - 173)
6/07 HR 3 Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act Bill Passed - House (210 - 206)
5/24 HR 5515 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 Bill Passed - House (351 - 66)
5/22 S 204 Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 Bill Passed - House (250 - 169)
5/22 S 2155 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act Bill Passed - House (258 - 159)
5/22 HR 5682 FIRST STEP Act Bill Passed - House (360 - 59)
5/17 PN 1857 Nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (54 - 45)
5/17 PN 1857 Nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Cloture Invoked - Senate (54 - 44)
5/16 S J Res 52 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to "Restoring Internet Freedom" Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
5/16 HR 5698 Protect and Serve Act of 2018 Bill Passed - House (382 - 35)
5/10 HR 3053 Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018 Bill Passed - House (340 - 72)
5/09 HR 5645 Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act of 2018 Bill Passed - House (230 - 185)
5/09 HR 2152 Citizens' Right to Know Act of 2018 Bill Passed - House (221 - 197)
5/08 S J Res 57 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act" Bill Passed - House (234 - 175)
4/27 H Res 856 Raising a Question of the Privileges of the House Bill Tabled - House (215 - 171)
4/26 PN 1761 Nomination of Mike Pompeo to Secretary of State (57 - 42)
4/26 PN 1761 Nomination of Mike Pompeo to Secretary of State Cloture Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
4/25 HR 3144 To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, and for other purposes. Bill Passed - House (225 - 189)
4/19 PN 1359 Nomination of James Bridenstine to Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (50 - 49)
4/18 PN 1359 Nomination of James Bridenstine to Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Cloture Invoked - Senate (50 - 48)
4/18 S J Res 57 A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act" Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 47)

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