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 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. 16, 2005 National HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
Oct. 7, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
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 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1222 Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
July 14, 2005 National HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
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)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 220 Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37)
Oct. 6, 2004 National S 2845 National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2)
June 23, 2004 National S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
May 22, 2003 National S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
Nov. 19, 2002 National HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
June 18, 2002 National S 2600 Terrorism Insurance Bill Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14)
Oct. 25, 2001 National HR 3162 USA Patriot Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
Oct. 15, 1999 National HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
May 20, 1999 National HR 1141 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations-Conference Report Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 36)
April 30, 1998 National HR 3579 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
Sept. 25, 1997 National HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
June 19, 1997 National S Amdt 416 Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
April 17, 1996 National S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
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)
12/16 HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
10/07 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
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)
7/14 S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
7/14 S Amdt 1222 Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
7/14 HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
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)
3/17 S Amdt 220 Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37)
10/06 S 2845 National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2)
6/23 S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
5/22 S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
11/19 HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
6/18 S 2600 Terrorism Insurance Bill Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14)
10/25 HR 3162 USA Patriot Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
10/15 HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
5/20 HR 1141 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations-Conference Report Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 36)
4/30 HR 3579 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
9/25 HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
6/19 S Amdt 416 Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
4/17 S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8)

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