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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |