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
Nov. 17, 2005 National S Amdt 2601 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47)
Nov. 16, 2005 National HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2357 Medicare Premiums Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2356 Hurricane Health Care for Survivors Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2371 Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2348 Medicaid Generic Drug Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2365 Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2409 Targeted Case Management Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
Oct. 27, 2005 National S Amdt 2259 AIDS Drug Assistance Program Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
Oct. 27, 2005 National HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3)
Oct. 26, 2005 National S Amdt 2253 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
Oct. 26, 2005 National S Amdt 2194 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43)
Oct. 20, 2005 National HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1)
Oct. 5, 2005 National S Amdt 1937 Health Care for Veterans Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
June 20, 2005 National PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 38)
May 26, 2005 National PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
May 10, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
April 28, 2005 National H Con Res 95 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
April 28, 2005 National H Con Res 95 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
April 21, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 214 Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 229 Medicaid Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
March 10, 2005 National S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
March 8, 2005 National S Amdt 47 Violent Protestor Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/17 S Amdt 2601 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47)
11/16 HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
11/03 S Amdt 2357 Medicare Premiums Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
11/03 S Amdt 2356 Hurricane Health Care for Survivors Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
11/03 S Amdt 2371 Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48)
11/03 S Amdt 2348 Medicaid Generic Drug Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
11/03 S Amdt 2365 Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
11/03 S Amdt 2409 Targeted Case Management Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
11/03 S 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
10/27 S Amdt 2259 AIDS Drug Assistance Program Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
10/27 HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3)
10/26 S Amdt 2253 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
10/26 S Amdt 2194 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43)
10/20 HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1)
10/05 S Amdt 1937 Health Care for Veterans Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
7/14 S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
6/20 PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 38)
5/26 PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
5/10 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
4/28 H Con Res 95 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
4/28 H Con Res 95 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
4/21 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
3/17 S Amdt 214 Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
3/17 S Amdt 229 Medicaid Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
3/10 S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
3/08 S Amdt 47 Violent Protestor Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)

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