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. 9, 2010 National HR 847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
Dec. 8, 2010 National S 3991 Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
Sept. 29, 2010 National S J Res 39 Disapproving Rule for "Grandfathered Health Plans" Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
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 15, 2010 National HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 39)
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)
March 25, 2010 National HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/09 HR 847 9/11 Health and Compensation Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
12/08 S 3991 Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
9/29 S J Res 39 Disapproving Rule for "Grandfathered Health Plans" Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
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)
7/15 HR 4173 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 39)
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)
3/25 HR 4872 Health Care Reconciliation Act Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)

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