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
Jan. 26, 2006 RI H 6700 Sub A Driver Refusal of Chemical Tests Bill Passed - House (64 - 6)
Jan. 25, 2006 VA SB 526 Defining Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
Jan. 23, 2006 SD SB 1 Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
Jan. 23, 2006 WA 2nd Sub HB 2292 Addressing Health Care Liability Reform Bill Passed - House (54 - 43)
Jan. 20, 2006 WA Sub HB 2661 Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission Bill Passed - House (60 - 37)
Jan. 19, 2006 WI AB 766 Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Caps Veto Override Failed - House (63 - 36)
Jan. 9, 2006 NJ S 2083 Domestic Partner Surviving Rights Bill Passed - House (67 - 8)
Dec. 21, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44)
Dec. 21, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0)
Dec. 19, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106)
Nov. 15, 2005 National S Amdt 2524 Guantanamo Bay Detainees Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (84 - 14)
Nov. 15, 2005 National S Amdt 2523 Judicial Review of Detainees Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
Nov. 10, 2005 National S Amdt 2516 Detainees at Guantanamo Bay Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 42)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2409 Targeted Case Management Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2400 Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
Oct. 27, 2005 National HR 420 Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (228 - 184)
Oct. 20, 2005 National HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1)
Oct. 19, 2005 National HR 554 Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (306 - 120)
Oct. 7, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
Sept. 29, 2005 National PN 801 Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (78 - 22)
July 28, 2005 National HR 5 Malpractice Liability Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 194)
June 30, 2005 National HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - House (405 - 18)
June 20, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (398 - 19)
June 14, 2005 National PN 202 Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24)
June 9, 2005 National PN 200 William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/26 H 6700 Sub A Driver Refusal of Chemical Tests Bill Passed - House (64 - 6)
1/25 SB 526 Defining Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
1/23 SB 1 Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
1/23 2nd Sub HB 2292 Addressing Health Care Liability Reform Bill Passed - House (54 - 43)
1/20 Sub HB 2661 Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission Bill Passed - House (60 - 37)
1/19 AB 766 Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Caps Veto Override Failed - House (63 - 36)
1/09 S 2083 Domestic Partner Surviving Rights Bill Passed - House (67 - 8)
12/21 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44)
12/21 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0)
12/19 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106)
11/15 S Amdt 2524 Guantanamo Bay Detainees Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (84 - 14)
11/15 S Amdt 2523 Judicial Review of Detainees Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
11/10 S Amdt 2516 Detainees at Guantanamo Bay Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 42)
11/03 S Amdt 2409 Targeted Case Management Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
11/03 S Amdt 2400 Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
10/27 HR 420 Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (228 - 184)
10/20 HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1)
10/19 HR 554 Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (306 - 120)
10/07 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
9/29 PN 801 Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (78 - 22)
7/28 HR 5 Malpractice Liability Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 194)
6/30 HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - House (405 - 18)
6/20 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (398 - 19)
6/14 PN 202 Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24)
6/09 PN 200 William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45)

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