For the "lame-duck" bills: The "lame duck" session means that Congress meets after the election but before the new members are sworn in, i.e., the old members meet one last time. We include several "lame-duck" bills from both the House and Senate.

For 2012, the "lame-duck" session also includes four newly-elected members from special elections (they get seated right after the election, whereas the winners of general elections get seated in Jan. 2013). They are hence members of the "lame-duck" session, and can "co-sponsor" older bills. Since those bills are the first sponsorships for the new members, one may consider them "signature issues" for those members. The four special election new members are:

• Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D, NJ): Co-sponsored HR1418 "Small Business Lending Enhancement Act", under Corporations below.
• Rep. Thomas Massie (R, KY): Co-sponsored HR420 "Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act", under Gun Control below; and HR1831 "Industrial Hemp Farming Act", under Drugs below.
• Rep. Suzan DelBene (D, WA): has not yet co-sponsored any bills in the lame duck Congress.
• Rep. David Curson (D, MI): Co-sponsored HR6412 "Attracting the Best and Brightest Act", under Immigration below; Curson is a member of ONLY the lame duck Congress and Rep.-Elect Kerry Bentivolio (R, MI) will take the seat in January 2013.

For the 2012 rating organizations: All of the organizations below rated some or all of the 2013 newly incoming House members.

Abortion

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-NARAL on Jan 1, 2012	by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice stance	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 1.	Democrats: 24 Republicans: 0 Independents: 0

Budget & Economy

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-CFG on Oct 31, 2012	by the Club for Growth, for pro-growth stances	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 0 Republicans: 9 Independents: 0
12-CCB on Jan 1, 2012	Supports the Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 0 Republicans: 73 Independents: 1

Civil Rights

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-FemMaj on Oct 31, 2012	by The Feminist Majority indicating a pro-women's rights stance	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 2.	Democrats: 140 Republicans: 0 Independents: 1

Corporations

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-S2231 on Mar 22, 2012	(1) Sponsored raising cap on credit union small business loans or (2) Expand lending caps for credit unions to small business	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 102 Republicans: 43 Independents: 3

Drugs

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-S3501 on Aug 2, 2012	(1) Sponsored defining industrial hemp as not marijuana or (2) Exclude industrial hemp from definition of marijuana	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 19.	Democrats: 26 Republicans: 10 Independents: 0

Energy & Oil

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
2010-LC-EO on Sep 1, 2010	Liberty Candidate: tax incentives for US-based alternatives	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 18.	Democrats: 0 Republicans: 4 Independents: 5

Environment

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-HR6038 on Jun 27, 2012	(1) Sponsored establishing International Conservation Strategy or (2) Establish an International Conservation Strategy	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 29 Republicans: 15 Independents: 1
12-HR4122 on Mar 9, 2012	(1) Sponsored ban on breeding or possessing Big Cat species or (2) Prohibits breeding or possessing Big Cat species	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 50 Republicans: 8 Independents: 1

Families & Children

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-HRes809 on Nov 15, 2012	(1) Sponsored encouraging adoption of children in foster care or (2) Encourage adoption of children in foster care	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 1.	Democrats: 14 Republicans: 28 Independents: 1

Foreign Policy

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-HRes814 on Nov 16, 2012	(1) Sponsored opposing Arms Treaty that limits gun trade abroad or (2) Oppose Arms Treaty that limits gun trade to Israel & Taiwan	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 15.	Democrats: 4 Republicans: 76 Independents: 0
12-SRes599 on Nov 16, 2012	(1) Sponsored supporting State of Israel against Hamas in Gaza or (2) Vigorous support for State of Israel against Hamas in Gaza	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 34 Republicans: 28 Independents: 1
12-S3477 on Aug 1, 2012	(1) Sponsored integrating gender into diplomacy and foreign aid or (2) Integrate gender into diplomatic and foreign aid processes	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 25 Republicans: 3 Independents: 0

Government Reform

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-HR6591 on Nov 15, 2012	(1) Sponsored 15 days of early voting in all states or (2) Establish 15 days of early voting in all states	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 16.	Democrats: 77 Republicans: 0 Independents: 1
12-S3369 on Jul 10, 2012	(1) Sponsored disclosure of independent campaign expenditures or (2) Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 16.	Democrats: 37 Republicans: 0 Independents: 0
12-HR4010 on Feb 9, 2012	(1) Sponsored disclosure of independent campaign expenditures or (2) Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 16.	Democrats: 136 Republicans: 0 Independents: 1

Gun Control

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
11-S0798 on Apr 12, 2011	(1) Sponsored veterans registering unlicensed guns from abroad or (2) Allow veterans to register unlicensed guns acquired abroad	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 10.	Democrats: 8 Republicans: 13 Independents: 0
11-HR0420 on Jan 25, 2011	(1) Sponsored veterans registering unlicensed guns from abroad or (2) Allow veterans to register unlicensed guns acquired abroad	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 10.	Democrats: 30 Republicans: 170 Independents: 1

Health Care

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
10-CfG-can on Jul 4, 2010	Repeal any federal health care takeover	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 5.	Democrats: 0 Republicans: 86 Independents: 5
10-CfG-inc on Jul 4, 2010	Repeal any federal health care takeover	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 5.	Democrats: 1 Republicans: 94 Independents: 3

Immigration

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-HR6412 on Sep 14, 2012	(1) Sponsored allowing more visas for STEM college graduates or (2) Allow more visas for STEM college graduates	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 12.	Democrats: 58 Republicans: 0 Independents: 0

Principles & Values

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
10-HRYG on Sep 14, 2010	Member of the House Republican Young Guns	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 0 Republicans: 95 Independents: 2
10-Tea on Aug 11, 2010	Member of the Tea Party movement	(Not used in VoteMatch)	Democrats: 2 Republicans: 117 Independents: 1

Social Security

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-NCPSSM on Oct 31, 2012	by NCPSSM indicating a pro-Social Security stance	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 6.	Democrats: 23 Republicans: 1 Independents: 0

Tax Reform

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-ATR on Jan 1, 2012	Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 11.	Democrats: 3 Republicans: 300 Independents: 5
12-HR3903 on Apr 16, 2012	(1) Sponsored minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1M or (2) Minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1 million	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 11.	Democrats: 58 Republicans: 0 Independents: 0
12-S2230 on Mar 22, 2012	(1) Sponsored minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1M or (2) Minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1 million	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 11.	Democrats: 16 Republicans: 0 Independents: 0

War & Peace

Public Note	Vote description	VoteMatch Usage	Participants
12-SJR41 on May 24, 2012	(1) Sponsored prevention, not containment, for Iranian nukes or (2) Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 17.	Democrats: 35 Republicans: 41 Independents: 1
12-HJR568 on Mar 1, 2012	(1) Sponsored prevention, not containment, for Iranian nukes or (2) Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment	Participating counts on VoteMatch question 17.	Democrats: 111 Republicans: 176 Independents: 1

---