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. 22, 2005 National HR 2744 Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2)
Sept. 15, 2005 National S Amdt 1678 Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
Sept. 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1670 Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
Sept. 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1660 Congressional Commission on Hurricane Katrina Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
Sept. 13, 2005 National S J Res 20 EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule Bill Failed - Senate (47 - 51)
July 29, 2005 National HR 6 Energy Policy Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26)
July 29, 2005 National HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4)
July 29, 2005 National HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4)
July 29, 2005 National HR 2361 Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1)
July 29, 2005 National S 397 Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
July 28, 2005 National S Amdt 1626 Child Safety Lock Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 30)
July 28, 2005 National HR 3045 CAFTA Implementation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 45)
July 26, 2005 National S 1042 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48)
July 26, 2005 National S Amdt 1351 Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
July 20, 2005 National HR 3057 Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
July 19, 2005 National S Amdt 1241 US Agency for International Development Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 40)
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1222 Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1189 Air Cargo Security Programs Implementation Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 53)
July 14, 2005 National HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
July 1, 2005 National HR 2419 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3)
June 30, 2005 National S 1307 CAFTA Implementation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 45)
June 29, 2005 National HR 2361 Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 0)
June 28, 2005 National HR 6 Energy Policy Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 12)
June 20, 2005 National PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 38)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/22 HR 2744 Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2)
9/15 S Amdt 1678 Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
9/14 S Amdt 1670 Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
9/14 S Amdt 1660 Congressional Commission on Hurricane Katrina Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
9/13 S J Res 20 EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule Bill Failed - Senate (47 - 51)
7/29 HR 6 Energy Policy Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26)
7/29 HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4)
7/29 HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4)
7/29 HR 2361 Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1)
7/29 S 397 Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
7/28 S Amdt 1626 Child Safety Lock Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 30)
7/28 HR 3045 CAFTA Implementation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 45)
7/26 S 1042 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48)
7/26 S Amdt 1351 Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
7/20 HR 3057 Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
7/19 S Amdt 1241 US Agency for International Development Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 40)
7/14 S Amdt 1222 Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
7/14 S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
7/14 S Amdt 1189 Air Cargo Security Programs Implementation Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 53)
7/14 HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
7/01 HR 2419 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3)
6/30 S 1307 CAFTA Implementation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 45)
6/29 HR 2361 Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 0)
6/28 HR 6 Energy Policy Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 12)
6/20 PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 38)

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