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:
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.
| 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) |