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 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) |
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 | SB 1263 | Prohibits Gas Drilling in Certain Areas | Bill Passed - House (123 - 74) |
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 | 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 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) |
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) |
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 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 | FL | HB 4001 | Repeals Provisions for Cap and Trade Regulations | Bill Passed - House (82 - 34) |
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. 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) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
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) |
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 | SB 1263 | Prohibits Gas Drilling in Certain Areas | Bill Passed - House (123 - 74) |
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 | 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) |
5/15 | 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) |
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) |
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) |
3/14 | 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 4001 | Repeals Provisions for Cap and Trade Regulations | Bill Passed - House (82 - 34) |
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) |
2/08 | 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) |