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
July 16, 2026 National PN 851-8 Nomination of Kara Marie Westercamp, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade, vice Stephen A. Vaden, resigned Cloture Invoked - Senate (49 - 48)
July 15, 2026 National HR 8595 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027 Bill Passed - House (217 - 209)
June 3, 2026 National S 254 Alaska's Right To Ivory Sales and Tradition (ARTIST) Act Bill Passed - House (404 - 14)
April 30, 2026 National HR 7567 Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 Bill Passed - House (224 - 200)
March 27, 2026 National HR 7084 Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026 Bill Passed - House (247 - 164)
Feb. 11, 2026 National H J Res 72 Relating to a national emergency by the President on February 1, 2025 Bill Passed - House (219 - 211)
Jan. 12, 2026 National HR 6500 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Extension Act Bill Passed - House (340 - 54)
Jan. 12, 2026 National HR 6504 Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act Bill Passed - House (345 - 45)
Jan. 12, 2026 National HR 2683 Remote Access Security Act Bill Passed - House (369 - 22)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/16 PN 851-8 Nomination of Kara Marie Westercamp, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade, vice Stephen A. Vaden, resigned Cloture Invoked - Senate (49 - 48)
7/15 HR 8595 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027 Bill Passed - House (217 - 209)
6/03 S 254 Alaska's Right To Ivory Sales and Tradition (ARTIST) Act Bill Passed - House (404 - 14)
4/30 HR 7567 Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 Bill Passed - House (224 - 200)
3/27 HR 7084 Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026 Bill Passed - House (247 - 164)
2/11 H J Res 72 Relating to a national emergency by the President on February 1, 2025 Bill Passed - House (219 - 211)
1/12 HR 6500 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Extension Act Bill Passed - House (340 - 54)
1/12 HR 6504 Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act Bill Passed - House (345 - 45)
1/12 HR 2683 Remote Access Security Act Bill Passed - House (369 - 22)

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