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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 21, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0)
Dec. 21, 2005 National S Con Res 74 Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45)
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 2358 ANWR Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2400 Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
Oct. 7, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
Sept. 13, 2005 National S J Res 20 EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule Bill Failed - Senate (47 - 51)
July 29, 2005 National HR 2361 Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1)
July 1, 2005 National HR 2419 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3)
June 29, 2005 National HR 2361 Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 0)
June 14, 2005 National S Amdt 781 Environmental Effects Caused by Ethanol Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 38)
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 21, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
Jan. 22, 2004 National HR 2673 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28)
Oct. 28, 2003 National PN 884 Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (88 - 8)
March 19, 2003 National S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
May 8, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
April 25, 2002 National HR 4 Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 11)
Feb. 13, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
Oct. 17, 2001 National HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
April 15, 1997 National S Amdt 31 Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
April 15, 1997 National S 104 Nuclear Waste Disposal bill Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
Sept. 17, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
June 30, 1994 National HR 4506 Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8)
Nov. 9, 1993 National HR 2520 Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9)
Sept. 22, 1993 National HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9)
Sept. 8, 1993 National HR 2010 National Service Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40)
Aug. 3, 1993 National HR 2010 National Service Bill Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41)
May 4, 1993 National S 171 Department of the Environment Act Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 15)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/21 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0)
12/21 S Con Res 74 Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45)
11/16 HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
11/03 S Amdt 2358 ANWR Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
11/03 S Amdt 2400 Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
10/07 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
9/13 S J Res 20 EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule Bill Failed - Senate (47 - 51)
7/29 HR 2361 Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1)
7/01 HR 2419 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3)
6/29 HR 2361 Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 0)
6/14 S Amdt 781 Environmental Effects Caused by Ethanol Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 38)
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)
4/21 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
1/22 HR 2673 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28)
10/28 PN 884 Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (88 - 8)
3/19 S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
5/08 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
4/25 HR 4 Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 11)
2/13 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
10/17 HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
4/15 S Amdt 31 Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
4/15 S 104 Nuclear Waste Disposal bill Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
9/17 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
6/30 HR 4506 Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8)
11/09 HR 2520 Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9)
9/22 HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9)
9/08 HR 2010 National Service Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40)
8/03 HR 2010 National Service Bill Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41)
5/04 S 171 Department of the Environment Act Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 15)

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