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
Dec. 22, 2010 National HR 847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 60)
Dec. 17, 2010 National HR 5510 Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act Bill Failed - House (210 - 145)
Dec. 16, 2010 National H Amdt 786 Amending the Estate Tax Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233)
Dec. 9, 2010 National HR 847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
Dec. 8, 2010 National HR 6495 Mine Safety Act Bill Failed - House (214 - 193)
Dec. 8, 2010 National HR 5281 DREAM Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198)
Dec. 8, 2010 National S 3991 Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
Nov. 18, 2010 National HR 1722 Telework Policies and Regulations for Federal Agencies Concurrence Vote Passed - House (254 - 152)
Sept. 29, 2010 National S J Res 39 Disapproving Rule for "Grandfathered Health Plans" Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
Sept. 16, 2010 National HR 4785 Authorizing Loans for Energy Efficiency Purposes Bill Passed - House (240 - 172)
Sept. 14, 2010 National S Amdt 4596 Repealing Business Transaction Reporting Requirements Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 52)
Sept. 14, 2010 National S Amdt 4595 Business Transaction Reporting Requirement Amendments Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
July 28, 2010 National HR 5827 Exempting Guns from an Estate for Bankruptcy Purposes Bill Passed - House (307 - 113)
July 21, 2010 National HR 725 Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92)
July 15, 2010 National HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 39)
July 15, 2010 National HR 5114 Flood Insurance Program Extension Bill Passed - House (329 - 90)
June 30, 2010 National HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - House (237 - 192)
June 10, 2010 National H Amdt 688 Limiting Principal Obligation Amounts of Federal Housing Administration Mortgages Amendment Rejected - House (121 - 301)
June 10, 2010 National H Amdt 686 Limiting Federal Housing Administration Mortgage Issuance Amendment Rejected - House (106 - 316)
June 10, 2010 National H Amdt 684 Increasing Minimum Down Payment for Federal Housing Administration Mortgages Amendment Rejected - House (131 - 289)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
May 12, 2010 National S Amdt 3962 Home Loan Regulation Modifications Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 36)
May 12, 2010 National S Amdt 3955 Establishing New Mortgage Underwriting Requirements and Eliminating a Risk Retention Requirement Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 57)
May 11, 2010 National S Amdt 3839 Termination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conservatorships Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
May 6, 2010 National HR 1722 Telework Policies and Regulations for Federal Agencies Bill Failed - House (268 - 147)
March 25, 2010 National HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 207)
March 25, 2010 National HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
March 21, 2010 National HR 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 212)
March 21, 2010 National HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - House (220 - 211)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/22 HR 847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 60)
12/17 HR 5510 Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act Bill Failed - House (210 - 145)
12/16 H Amdt 786 Amending the Estate Tax Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233)
12/09 HR 847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
12/08 HR 6495 Mine Safety Act Bill Failed - House (214 - 193)
12/08 HR 5281 DREAM Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198)
12/08 S 3991 Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
11/18 HR 1722 Telework Policies and Regulations for Federal Agencies Concurrence Vote Passed - House (254 - 152)
9/29 S J Res 39 Disapproving Rule for "Grandfathered Health Plans" Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
9/16 HR 4785 Authorizing Loans for Energy Efficiency Purposes Bill Passed - House (240 - 172)
9/14 S Amdt 4596 Repealing Business Transaction Reporting Requirements Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 52)
9/14 S Amdt 4595 Business Transaction Reporting Requirement Amendments Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
7/28 HR 5827 Exempting Guns from an Estate for Bankruptcy Purposes Bill Passed - House (307 - 113)
7/21 HR 725 Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92)
7/15 HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 39)
7/15 HR 5114 Flood Insurance Program Extension Bill Passed - House (329 - 90)
6/30 HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - House (237 - 192)
6/10 H Amdt 688 Limiting Principal Obligation Amounts of Federal Housing Administration Mortgages Amendment Rejected - House (121 - 301)
6/10 H Amdt 686 Limiting Federal Housing Administration Mortgage Issuance Amendment Rejected - House (106 - 316)
6/10 H Amdt 684 Increasing Minimum Down Payment for Federal Housing Administration Mortgages Amendment Rejected - House (131 - 289)
6/09 S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
6/09 S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
5/27 S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
5/12 S Amdt 3962 Home Loan Regulation Modifications Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 36)
5/12 S Amdt 3955 Establishing New Mortgage Underwriting Requirements and Eliminating a Risk Retention Requirement Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 57)
5/11 S Amdt 3839 Termination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conservatorships Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
5/06 HR 1722 Telework Policies and Regulations for Federal Agencies Bill Failed - House (268 - 147)
3/25 HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (220 - 207)
3/25 HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
3/21 HR 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (219 - 212)
3/21 HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - House (220 - 211)

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