Explainer
Congressional records
Congress publishes its own record. Bills, amendments, committee reports, and every recorded vote are available from official sources, which means a claim about a member's record can always be checked against the document rather than against a summary.
Go straight to the official record
Official source
Open Congress.gov
Official record of federal bills, actions, committee steps, and votes.
This link leaves WomanVoters and opens the official site. We never ask for the personal details the official system requires.
Official source
Open House roll call votes
Official House vote records, including the question and each member position.
This link leaves WomanVoters and opens the official site. We never ask for the personal details the official system requires.
Official source
Open Senate roll call votes
Official Senate vote records by Congress and session.
This link leaves WomanVoters and opens the official site. We never ask for the personal details the official system requires.
Which source settles which question
| Question | Official source |
|---|---|
| What does the bill actually say? | Congress.gov bill text, including each version as it is amended |
| What happened to the bill, and when? | The actions list on the Congress.gov bill page |
| How did a representative vote? | The roll call record published by the Clerk of the House |
| How did a senator vote? | The roll call record published by the Senate, by Congress and session |
| What did the committee conclude? | The committee report, linked from the bill page |
| Who sponsored or cosponsored it? | The sponsor and cosponsor list on the bill page, with dates |
How to trace a claim in five steps
- Get the bill number and the Congress. A claim without both cannot be checked.
- Open the bill on Congress.gov and read the version that existed on the date in question.
- Open the actions list and find the vote referenced by the claim.
- Open the roll call in the House or Senate record and read the question being voted on.
- Check whether the member voted, voted the other way, or was not present.
Common ways a record gets misread
- Treating a procedural vote as a vote on the policy in the bill title.
- Quoting a vote on an earlier version of a bill that was later rewritten.
- Counting a member as opposed when the record shows the member was not present.
- Describing a cosponsorship as a vote, or a vote as a law.
- Assuming a bill that passed one chamber became law.
Our guide to how Congress votes covers each vote type in detail, including cloture, motions to table, recommittal, and final passage.