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
Sept. 15, 2016 National HR 5351 To Prohibit the Transfer of Any Individual Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Bill Passed - House (244 - 174)
June 20, 2016 National S Amdt 4720 Prohibits the Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53)
June 20, 2016 National S Amdt 4749 Authorizes the Attorney General to Delay Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
Jan. 20, 2016 National HR 4038 American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/15 HR 5351 To Prohibit the Transfer of Any Individual Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Bill Passed - House (244 - 174)
6/20 S Amdt 4720 Prohibits the Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53)
6/20 S Amdt 4749 Authorizes the Attorney General to Delay Transfer of Firearms to Suspected Terrorists Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
1/20 HR 4038 American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)

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