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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2985 | Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37) |
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3095 | Repeals the Prohibition on Biofuel Refinery Construction | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
Sept. 25, 2012 | PA | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
Sept. 21, 2012 | National | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
Sept. 14, 2012 | National | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
July 25, 2012 | National | HR 6168 | President Obama's Proposed 2012-2017 Offshore Drilling Lease Sale Plan Act | Bill Failed - House (164 - 261) |
July 25, 2012 | National | HR 6082 | Congressional Replacement of President Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan | Bill Passed - House (253 - 170) |
July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 47) |
July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 13) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 761 | Exempts Certain Transfers from the Realty Transfer Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (140 - 56) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | SB 1263 | Prohibits Gas Drilling in Certain Areas | Bill Passed - House (123 - 74) |
June 27, 2012 | MA | S 2214 | Amends Renewable Energy Contract Requirements | Bill Passed - House (135 - 16) |
June 21, 2012 | National | HR 4480 | Domestic Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 163) |
June 14, 2012 | NC | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - House (66 - 43) |
June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 74) |
June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |
June 6, 2012 | NC | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1054 | Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
May 24, 2012 | NJ | S 1322 | Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - House (45 - 33) |
May 15, 2012 | OH | SB 315 | Regulates Practice of Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
May 4, 2012 | VT | H 464 | Prohibits Hydraulic Fracturing | Conference Report Adopted - House (103 - 36) |
May 3, 2012 | HI | SB 2785 | Establishes Regulations for an Undersea Power Cable | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 3) |
April 18, 2012 | National | HR 4348 | Extension of Surface Transportation Funding and Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline | Bill Passed - House (293 - 127) |
April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 1161 | Authorizes Land Study in Nebraska for Keystone XL Pipeline Route | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
April 9, 2012 | AK | SB 203 | Establishes an Energy Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
March 30, 2012 | MD | HB 441 | Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (88 - 47) |
March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
March 27, 2012 | AK | HB 9 | Specifies the Powers of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation | Bill Passed - House (27 - 12) |
March 19, 2012 | SD | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 23) |
March 15, 2012 | NJ | S 1322 | Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
March 14, 2012 | ID | H 464 | Prohibits Local Ordinances from Limiting Oil and Gas Extraction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
March 8, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
March 8, 2012 | FL | HB 4001 | Repeals Provisions for Cap and Trade Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
March 1, 2012 | SD | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 16) |
March 1, 2012 | FL | HB 4001 | Repeals Provisions for Cap and Trade Regulations | Bill Passed - House (82 - 34) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | SD | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | ID | H 464 | Prohibits Local Ordinances from Limiting Oil and Gas Extraction | Bill Passed - House (54 - 13) |
Feb. 16, 2012 | National | HR 3408 | Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources | Bill Passed - House (237 - 187) |
Feb. 15, 2012 | FL | HB 7087 | Increases Certain Business Tax Credits and Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 22) |
Feb. 8, 2012 | PA | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 90) |
Feb. 7, 2012 | PA | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
Feb. 6, 2012 | UT | HB 210 | Restricts the Use of Severance Tax Revenue | Bill Failed - House (36 - 39) |
Jan. 30, 2012 | MN | Anderson Nomination | Confirmation of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commissioner | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 37) |
Jan. 25, 2012 | NH | Amdt 367s | Restricting Eminent Domain Petitions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
11/28 | S Amdt 2985 | Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37) |
11/28 | S Amdt 3095 | Repeals the Prohibition on Biofuel Refinery Construction | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
9/25 | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
9/21 | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
9/14 | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
7/25 | HR 6168 | President Obama's Proposed 2012-2017 Offshore Drilling Lease Sale Plan Act | Bill Failed - House (164 - 261) |
7/25 | HR 6082 | Congressional Replacement of President Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan | Bill Passed - House (253 - 170) |
7/02 | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 47) |
7/02 | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 13) |
6/30 | HB 761 | Exempts Certain Transfers from the Realty Transfer Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (140 - 56) |
6/30 | SB 1263 | Prohibits Gas Drilling in Certain Areas | Bill Passed - House (123 - 74) |
6/27 | S 2214 | Amends Renewable Energy Contract Requirements | Bill Passed - House (135 - 16) |
6/21 | HR 4480 | Domestic Energy and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 163) |
6/14 | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - House (66 - 43) |
6/06 | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 74) |
6/06 | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |
6/06 | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
5/30 | SB 1054 | Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
5/24 | S 1322 | Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - House (45 - 33) |
5/15 | SB 315 | Regulates Practice of Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
5/04 | H 464 | Prohibits Hydraulic Fracturing | Conference Report Adopted - House (103 - 36) |
5/03 | SB 2785 | Establishes Regulations for an Undersea Power Cable | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 3) |
4/18 | HR 4348 | Extension of Surface Transportation Funding and Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline | Bill Passed - House (293 - 127) |
4/11 | LB 1161 | Authorizes Land Study in Nebraska for Keystone XL Pipeline Route | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
4/09 | SB 203 | Establishes an Energy Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
3/30 | HB 441 | Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (88 - 47) |
3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
3/27 | HB 9 | Specifies the Powers of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation | Bill Passed - House (27 - 12) |
3/19 | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 23) |
3/15 | S 1322 | Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
3/14 | H 464 | Prohibits Local Ordinances from Limiting Oil and Gas Extraction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
3/08 | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
3/08 | HB 4001 | Repeals Provisions for Cap and Trade Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
3/01 | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 16) |
3/01 | HB 4001 | Repeals Provisions for Cap and Trade Regulations | Bill Passed - House (82 - 34) |
2/28 | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
2/17 | H 464 | Prohibits Local Ordinances from Limiting Oil and Gas Extraction | Bill Passed - House (54 - 13) |
2/16 | HR 3408 | Authorizes Development of Oil Shale Resources | Bill Passed - House (237 - 187) |
2/15 | HB 7087 | Increases Certain Business Tax Credits and Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 22) |
2/08 | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 90) |
2/07 | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
2/06 | HB 210 | Restricts the Use of Severance Tax Revenue | Bill Failed - House (36 - 39) |
1/30 | Anderson Nomination | Confirmation of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commissioner | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 37) |
1/25 | Amdt 367s | Restricting Eminent Domain Petitions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |