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
Jan. 22, 2018 National HR 195 Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (266 - 150)
Feb. 9, 2018 National HR 1892 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (240 - 186)
Jan. 22, 2018 National HR 195 Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
Sept. 13, 2018 National HR 5895 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - House (377 - 20)
Aug. 1, 2018 National HR 5515 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10)
Dec. 20, 2018 National S 756 First Step Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (358 - 36)
Feb. 9, 2018 National HR 1892 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (71 - 28)
Dec. 11, 2018 National HR 2 Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 13)
Sept. 18, 2018 National HR 6157 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 7)
Sept. 12, 2018 National HR 5895 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 5)
July 26, 2018 National HR 5515 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 Conference Report Adopted - House (359 - 54)
Jan. 18, 2018 National S 139 FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
Jan. 18, 2018 National HR 195 Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (230 - 197)
Dec. 18, 2018 National S 756 First Step Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
Dec. 13, 2018 National S J Res 54 To Direct the Removal of United States Armed Forces from Hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been Authorized by Congress Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 41)
April 26, 2018 National PN 1761 Nomination of Mike Pompeo to Secretary of State (57 - 42)
April 12, 2018 National PN 1426 Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (53 - 45)
Jan. 24, 2018 National PN 1341 Nomination of Samuel Dale Brownback to be Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 49)
Dec. 11, 2018 National PN 1803 Nomination of Justin George Muzinich to be Deputy Director of the Department of the Treasury (55 - 44)
Dec. 11, 2018 National PN 2117 Nomination of Jonathan A. Kobes to the Eighth Circuit Court (51 - 50)
Dec. 6, 2018 National PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (50 - 49)
Oct. 6, 2018 National PN 2259 Nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States (50 - 48)
July 18, 2018 National PN 1645 Nomination of Andrew S. Oldham to be United States Circuit Judge for the 5th Circuit (50 - 49)
July 11, 2018 National PN 1402 Nomination of Brian Allen Benczkowski to be Assistant Attorney General (51 - 48)
May 17, 2018 National PN 1857 Nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (54 - 45)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/22 HR 195 Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (266 - 150)
2/09 HR 1892 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (240 - 186)
1/22 HR 195 Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
9/13 HR 5895 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - House (377 - 20)
8/01 HR 5515 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10)
12/20 S 756 First Step Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (358 - 36)
2/09 HR 1892 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (71 - 28)
12/11 HR 2 Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 13)
9/18 HR 6157 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 7)
9/12 HR 5895 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 5)
7/26 HR 5515 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 Conference Report Adopted - House (359 - 54)
1/18 S 139 FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
1/18 HR 195 Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (230 - 197)
12/18 S 756 First Step Act of 2018 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
12/13 S J Res 54 To Direct the Removal of United States Armed Forces from Hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been Authorized by Congress Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 41)
4/26 PN 1761 Nomination of Mike Pompeo to Secretary of State (57 - 42)
4/12 PN 1426 Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (53 - 45)
1/24 PN 1341 Nomination of Samuel Dale Brownback to be Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 49)
12/11 PN 1803 Nomination of Justin George Muzinich to be Deputy Director of the Department of the Treasury (55 - 44)
12/11 PN 2117 Nomination of Jonathan A. Kobes to the Eighth Circuit Court (51 - 50)
12/06 PN 2170 Nomination of Kathleen Laura Kraninger to be the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (50 - 49)
10/06 PN 2259 Nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States (50 - 48)
7/18 PN 1645 Nomination of Andrew S. Oldham to be United States Circuit Judge for the 5th Circuit (50 - 49)
7/11 PN 1402 Nomination of Brian Allen Benczkowski to be Assistant Attorney General (51 - 48)
5/17 PN 1857 Nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (54 - 45)

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