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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2006 | National | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
| May 25, 2006 | National | S 2611 | Immigration Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
| May 4, 2006 | National | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21) |
| April 26, 2006 | AZ | SB 1425 | Prohibition of Confiscation of Firearms During an Emergency | Veto Override Failed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| April 6, 2006 | AZ | SB 1273 | Border Radar Lease Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (38 - 19) |
| April 6, 2006 | AZ | SB 1425 | Prohibition on Confiscation of Firearms During an Emergency | Bill Passed - House (45 - 12) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3166 | National Defense Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - House (348 - 71) |
| March 7, 2006 | National | S 2271 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill | Bill Passed - House (280 - 138) |
| March 6, 2006 | AZ | SB 1425 | Prohibition of Confiscation of Firearms During an Emergency. | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 3) |
| March 6, 2006 | AZ | SB 1273 | Border Radar Lease Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| March 2, 2006 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
| 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) |
| Dec. 16, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Dec. 16, 2005 | National | HR 4437 | Border Security Bill | Bill Passed - House (239 - 182) |
| Dec. 14, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - House (251 - 174) |
| Oct. 7, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| Sept. 15, 2005 | National | H Res 437 | Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina | Resolution Passed - House (224 - 188) |
| Sept. 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1660 | Congressional Commission on Hurricane Katrina | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| July 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1351 | Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| July 21, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Motion Rejected - House (209 - 218) |
| July 21, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (257 - 171) |
| July 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1222 | Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/26 | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
| 5/25 | S 2611 | Immigration Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
| 5/04 | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21) |
| 4/26 | SB 1425 | Prohibition of Confiscation of Firearms During an Emergency | Veto Override Failed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| 4/06 | SB 1273 | Border Radar Lease Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (38 - 19) |
| 4/06 | SB 1425 | Prohibition on Confiscation of Firearms During an Emergency | Bill Passed - House (45 - 12) |
| 3/16 | S Amdt 3166 | National Defense Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 3/16 | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - House (348 - 71) |
| 3/07 | S 2271 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill | Bill Passed - House (280 - 138) |
| 3/06 | SB 1425 | Prohibition of Confiscation of Firearms During an Emergency. | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 3) |
| 3/06 | SB 1273 | Border Radar Lease Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| 3/02 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
| 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) |
| 12/16 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 12/16 | HR 4437 | Border Security Bill | Bill Passed - House (239 - 182) |
| 12/14 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - House (251 - 174) |
| 10/07 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| 9/15 | H Res 437 | Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina | Resolution Passed - House (224 - 188) |
| 9/14 | S Amdt 1660 | Congressional Commission on Hurricane Katrina | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| 7/26 | S Amdt 1351 | Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| 7/21 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Motion Rejected - House (209 - 218) |
| 7/21 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (257 - 171) |
| 7/14 | S Amdt 1222 | Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |