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
Feb. 10, 2005 National S 5 Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
Feb. 3, 2005 National PN 12 Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36)
Jan. 26, 2005 National PN 8 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
Sept. 23, 2004 National HR 1308 Child Tax Credit Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3)
Sept. 21, 2004 National HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
July 22, 2004 National HR 4613 Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0)
July 14, 2004 National S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
June 23, 2004 National S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
May 21, 2004 National S Res 356 Resolution Condemning Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners Resolution Passed - Senate (92 - 0)
May 11, 2004 National S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
Oct. 23, 2003 National S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
Oct. 17, 2003 National S 1689 Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
July 11, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
May 23, 2003 National HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
May 22, 2003 National S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
Nov. 19, 2002 National HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
Oct. 16, 2002 National HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1)
Aug. 1, 2002 National HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
July 25, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
July 18, 2002 National HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
June 21, 2002 National S Amdt 3927 Military Abortion Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 40)
June 11, 2002 National S 625 Hate Crimes Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43)
May 8, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
Feb. 13, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
Dec. 13, 2001 National S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/10 S 5 Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
2/03 PN 12 Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36)
1/26 PN 8 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
9/23 HR 1308 Child Tax Credit Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3)
9/21 HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
7/22 HR 4613 Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0)
7/14 S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
6/23 S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
5/21 S Res 356 Resolution Condemning Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners Resolution Passed - Senate (92 - 0)
5/11 S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
10/23 S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
10/17 S 1689 Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
7/11 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
5/23 HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
5/22 S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
11/19 HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
10/16 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1)
8/01 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
7/25 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
7/18 HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
6/21 S Amdt 3927 Military Abortion Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 40)
6/11 S 625 Hate Crimes Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43)
5/08 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
2/13 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
12/13 S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)

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