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
Dec. 21, 2017 National HR 4667 Making further supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, for disaster assistance for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and calendar year 2017 wildfires, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (251 - 169)
Dec. 20, 2017 National HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (224 - 201)
Dec. 20, 2017 National HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 48)
Dec. 19, 2017 National HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Conference Report Adopted - House (227 - 203)
Dec. 7, 2017 National H J Res 123 Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Bill Passed - House (235 - 193)
Dec. 2, 2017 National HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
Nov. 16, 2017 National HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Bill Passed - House (227 - 205)
Oct. 26, 2017 National H Con Res 71 Establishing the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2018 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2019 through 2027 Bill Passed - House (216 - 212)
Oct. 25, 2017 National H Res 580 Providing for Consideration of the Senate Amendment to the Concurrent Resolution H. Con. Res. 71 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (233 - 188)
Oct. 24, 2017 National HR 2266 Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17)
Oct. 23, 2017 National HR 2266 Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 Cloture Invoked - Senate (79 - 16)
Oct. 19, 2017 National H Con Res 71 Establishing the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2018 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2019 through 2027 Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
Oct. 12, 2017 National H Res 569 Providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 2266, with an amendment. Resolution Passed - House (353 - 69)
Oct. 5, 2017 National H Con Res 71 Establishing the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2018 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2019 through 2027 Bill Passed - House (219 - 206)
Sept. 18, 2017 National HR 2810 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 8)
Sept. 14, 2017 National HR 3354 Making Appropriations for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. Bill Passed - House (211 - 198)
Sept. 14, 2017 National HR 3354 Making Appropriations for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. Bill Passed - House (211 - 198)
Sept. 8, 2017 National HR 601 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 Bill Passed - House (316 - 90)
Sept. 7, 2017 National HR 601 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 17)
Sept. 6, 2017 National H Res 502 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 Bill Passed - House (419 - 3)
July 28, 2017 National HR 3180 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Passed - House (380 - 35)
July 28, 2017 National HR 3180 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Passed - House (380 - 35)
July 27, 2017 National HR 3219 Make America Secure Appropriations Act Bill Passed - House (235 - 192)
July 14, 2017 National HR 2810 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Passed - House (344 - 81)
May 4, 2017 National HR 244 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 18)
May 3, 2017 National HR 244 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (309 - 118)
Jan. 12, 2017 National S Con Res 3 A Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2017 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2018 Through 2026 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 48)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/21 HR 4667 Making further supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, for disaster assistance for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and calendar year 2017 wildfires, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (251 - 169)
12/20 HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (224 - 201)
12/20 HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 48)
12/19 HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Conference Report Adopted - House (227 - 203)
12/07 H J Res 123 Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 Bill Passed - House (235 - 193)
12/02 HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
11/16 HR 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Bill Passed - House (227 - 205)
10/26 H Con Res 71 Establishing the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2018 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2019 through 2027 Bill Passed - House (216 - 212)
10/25 H Res 580 Providing for Consideration of the Senate Amendment to the Concurrent Resolution H. Con. Res. 71 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (233 - 188)
10/24 HR 2266 Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17)
10/23 HR 2266 Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 Cloture Invoked - Senate (79 - 16)
10/19 H Con Res 71 Establishing the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2018 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2019 through 2027 Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
10/12 H Res 569 Providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 2266, with an amendment. Resolution Passed - House (353 - 69)
10/05 H Con Res 71 Establishing the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2018 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2019 through 2027 Bill Passed - House (219 - 206)
9/18 HR 2810 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 8)
9/14 HR 3354 Making Appropriations for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. Bill Passed - House (211 - 198)
9/14 HR 3354 Making Appropriations for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. Bill Passed - House (211 - 198)
9/08 HR 601 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 Bill Passed - House (316 - 90)
9/07 HR 601 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 17)
9/06 H Res 502 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 Bill Passed - House (419 - 3)
7/28 HR 3180 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Passed - House (380 - 35)
7/28 HR 3180 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Passed - House (380 - 35)
7/27 HR 3219 Make America Secure Appropriations Act Bill Passed - House (235 - 192)
7/14 HR 2810 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Passed - House (344 - 81)
5/04 HR 244 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 18)
5/03 HR 244 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (309 - 118)
1/12 S Con Res 3 A Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2017 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2018 Through 2026 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 48)

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