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
April 16, 2021 National HR 1195 Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act Bill Passed - House (254 - 166)
April 15, 2021 National HR 7 Paycheck Fairness Act Bill Passed - House (217 - 210)
March 24, 2021 National PN 121 Nomination of Rachel Levine as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 48)
March 23, 2021 National PN 79-11 Nomination of Vivek Murphy as Medical Director in the Regular Corps and Surgeon General of the General Public Health Service Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 43)
March 23, 2021 National PN 79-13 Nomination of Shalanda Young as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
March 22, 2021 National PN 78-23 Nomination of Martin Walsh as Secretary of Labor Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 29)
March 19, 2021 National HR 1868 To prevent across-the-board direct spending cuts, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (246 - 175)
March 18, 2021 National PN 78-2 Nomination of Xavier Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 49)
March 18, 2021 National HR 6 American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (228 - 197)
March 18, 2021 National HR 1603 Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (247 - 174)
March 17, 2021 National H J Res 17 Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (222 - 204)
March 17, 2021 National HR 1620 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (244 - 172)
March 15, 2021 National PN 78-11 Nomination of Debra Haaland as Secretary of the Interior Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 40)
March 11, 2021 National HR 1446 Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (219 - 210)
March 11, 2021 National HR 8 Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (227 - 203)
March 10, 2021 National HR 1319 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 211)
March 10, 2021 National PN 78-7 Nomination of Merrick Garland as Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30)
March 10, 2021 National PN 78-16 Nomination of Michael Regan as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (66 - 34)
March 10, 2021 National PN 78-6 Nomination of Marcia Fudge as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Nomination Confirmed - Senate (66 - 34)
March 9, 2021 National HR 842 Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (225 - 206)
March 6, 2021 National HR 1319 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 49)
March 6, 2021 National S Amdt 1386 Prohibits funds made available under title II to States, local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education that permit any student whose biological sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity designated for women or girls. Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
March 5, 2021 National S Amdt 972 Increases the Federal Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58)
March 3, 2021 National HR 1280 George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (220 - 212)
March 3, 2021 National HR 1 For the People Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (220 - 210)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/16 HR 1195 Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act Bill Passed - House (254 - 166)
4/15 HR 7 Paycheck Fairness Act Bill Passed - House (217 - 210)
3/24 PN 121 Nomination of Rachel Levine as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 48)
3/23 PN 79-11 Nomination of Vivek Murphy as Medical Director in the Regular Corps and Surgeon General of the General Public Health Service Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 43)
3/23 PN 79-13 Nomination of Shalanda Young as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
3/22 PN 78-23 Nomination of Martin Walsh as Secretary of Labor Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 29)
3/19 HR 1868 To prevent across-the-board direct spending cuts, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (246 - 175)
3/18 PN 78-2 Nomination of Xavier Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (50 - 49)
3/18 HR 6 American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (228 - 197)
3/18 HR 1603 Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (247 - 174)
3/17 H J Res 17 Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (222 - 204)
3/17 HR 1620 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (244 - 172)
3/15 PN 78-11 Nomination of Debra Haaland as Secretary of the Interior Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 40)
3/11 HR 1446 Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (219 - 210)
3/11 HR 8 Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (227 - 203)
3/10 HR 1319 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 211)
3/10 PN 78-7 Nomination of Merrick Garland as Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30)
3/10 PN 78-16 Nomination of Michael Regan as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (66 - 34)
3/10 PN 78-6 Nomination of Marcia Fudge as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Nomination Confirmed - Senate (66 - 34)
3/09 HR 842 Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (225 - 206)
3/06 HR 1319 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 49)
3/06 S Amdt 1386 Prohibits funds made available under title II to States, local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education that permit any student whose biological sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity designated for women or girls. Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
3/05 S Amdt 972 Increases the Federal Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58)
3/03 HR 1280 George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (220 - 212)
3/03 HR 1 For the People Act of 2021 Bill Passed - House (220 - 210)

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