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. 28, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 23) |
Dec. 4, 2012 | National | Treaty Doc. 112-7 | The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Treaty Ratification Failed - Senate (61 - 38) |
Nov. 30, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (245 - 139) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3245 | Prohibits the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Individuals Detained at Guantanamo Bay | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
Nov. 29, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3018 | Prohibits the Indefinite Detention of Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2955 | Expands the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program | Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 11) |
Sept. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6429 | STEM Jobs Act of 2012 | Bill Failed - House (257 - 158) |
Sept. 12, 2012 | National | HR 5949 | FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (301 - 118) |
July 19, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1416 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act | Amendment Adopted - House (247 - 166) |
May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2108 | Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
May 16, 2012 | National | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
May 16, 2012 | National | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
May 9, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1096 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act | Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171) |
April 26, 2012 | National | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
April 26, 2012 | National | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
March 1, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1520 | Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48) |
Feb. 29, 2012 | National | HR 1837 | Water Resources in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley | Bill Passed - House (246 - 175) |
Feb. 9, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - House (417 - 2) |
Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S 2038 | Prohibits Insider Trading by Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |