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
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
July 14, 2005 National HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
June 30, 2005 National S 1307 CAFTA Implementation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 45)
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)
May 10, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
May 10, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
May 10, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
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)
April 21, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
April 21, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
April 21, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
April 21, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
April 18, 2005 National S Amdt 464 Future Military Funding for Iraq Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 31)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 220 Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37)
March 17, 2005 National S Con Res 18 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
March 10, 2005 National S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
Oct. 11, 2004 National HR 4520 JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17)
Oct. 6, 2004 National S 2845 National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2)
July 22, 2004 National HR 4613 Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0)
July 22, 2004 National HR 4613 Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0)
June 23, 2004 National S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/14 S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
7/14 HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
6/30 S 1307 CAFTA Implementation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 45)
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)
5/10 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
5/10 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
5/10 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
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)
4/21 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
4/21 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
4/21 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
4/21 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
4/18 S Amdt 464 Future Military Funding for Iraq Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 31)
3/17 S Amdt 220 Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37)
3/17 S Con Res 18 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
3/10 S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
10/11 HR 4520 JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17)
10/06 S 2845 National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2)
7/22 HR 4613 Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0)
7/22 HR 4613 Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0)
6/23 S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)

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