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. 14, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | National | HR 3012 | Repeals Certain Green Cards Limitations | Bill Passed - House (389 - 15) |
| Nov. 1, 2011 | National | H Con Res 13 | Encourages Display of "In God We Trust" in Public Buildings and Schools | Joint Resolution Passed - House (396 - 9) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | National | HR 1904 | Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (235 - 186) |
| May 4, 2011 | National | HR 1214 | Repealing Funding for School-Based Health Center Construction | Bill Passed - House (235 - 191) |
| April 13, 2011 | National | HR 1217 | Repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund | Bill Passed - House (236 - 183) |
| March 29, 2011 | National | HR 839 | Terminating the Home Affordable Modification Program | Bill Passed - House (252 - 170) |
| March 16, 2011 | National | HR 861 | Terminating the Neighborhood Stabilization Program | Bill Passed - House (242 - 182) |
| March 11, 2011 | National | HR 836 | Terminating the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program | Bill Passed - House (242 - 177) |
| March 10, 2011 | National | HR 830 | Terminating the Federal Housing Administration Refinance Program | Bill Passed - House (256 - 171) |
| March 3, 2011 | National | HR 4 | Repeals the Form 1099 Provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (314 - 112) |
| Feb. 19, 2011 | National | H Amdt 155 | Prohibits Use of Funds for Step Increase for General Schedule Employees | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 230) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | National | H Amdt 95 | Prohibiting Use of Federal Funds For Planned Parenthood | Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 185) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | National | H Amdt 69 | Reducing Federal Funding of the US Institute of Peace | Amendment Adopted - House (268 - 163) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | National | HR 2 | Repealing the Health Care Bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 189) |