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
March 27, 2006 GA CCS SB 529 Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 16)
March 8, 2006 GA SCS SB 529 Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 13)
March 6, 2006 AZ SB 1273 Border Radar Lease Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
March 2, 2006 AZ HB 2064 English Language Learners Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 13)
Feb. 23, 2006 WI SB 567 Limit Public Assistance to Citizens or Legal Residents of the United States Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
Feb. 16, 2006 AZ SB 1157 Trespassing by Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
Feb. 14, 2006 VA Sub SB 677 In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3)
Feb. 6, 2006 VA Sub SB 313 DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
Jan. 24, 2006 AZ HB 2002 English Language Learners; Structured English Immersion Models; Budget Requests Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
May 10, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
April 21, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
Oct. 3, 2000 National S 2045 American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
July 23, 1998 National S Amdt 3258 Temporary Farm Workers Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31)
May 18, 1998 National S Amdt 2417 U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
May 18, 1998 National S 1723 Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
March 20, 1997 National S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
May 2, 1996 National S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
May 2, 1996 National HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3)
May 1, 1996 National S Amdt 3752 Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46)
May 1, 1996 National S Amdt 3780 Asylum Seeker Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
April 30, 1996 National S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
April 25, 1996 National S Amdt 3670 Foreign Student Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47)
April 25, 1996 National S Amdt 3669 Foreign Student Public Education Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46)
April 17, 1996 National S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/27 CCS SB 529 Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 16)
3/08 SCS SB 529 Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 13)
3/06 SB 1273 Border Radar Lease Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
3/02 HB 2064 English Language Learners Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 13)
2/23 SB 567 Limit Public Assistance to Citizens or Legal Residents of the United States Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
2/16 SB 1157 Trespassing by Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
2/14 Sub SB 677 In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3)
2/06 Sub SB 313 DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
1/24 HB 2002 English Language Learners; Structured English Immersion Models; Budget Requests Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
7/14 S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
5/10 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
4/21 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
10/03 S 2045 American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
7/23 S Amdt 3258 Temporary Farm Workers Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31)
5/18 S Amdt 2417 U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
5/18 S 1723 Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
3/20 S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
5/02 S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
5/02 HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3)
5/01 S Amdt 3752 Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46)
5/01 S Amdt 3780 Asylum Seeker Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
4/30 S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
4/25 S Amdt 3670 Foreign Student Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47)
4/25 S Amdt 3669 Foreign Student Public Education Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46)
4/17 S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8)

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