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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| Oct. 20, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
| Oct. 20, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
| Oct. 7, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| Oct. 7, 2005 | National | HR 3893 | Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (212 - 210) |
| Oct. 5, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2033 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49) |
| Oct. 5, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1937 | Health Care for Veterans Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Sept. 22, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| Sept. 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 8) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 156) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 10) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 194) |
| July 26, 2005 | National | S 1042 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48) |
| July 20, 2005 | National | HR 2601 | State Department FY 2006/2007 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (351 - 78) |
| July 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1189 | Air Cargo Security Programs Implementation Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
| July 12, 2005 | National | HR 741 | Independent Review of OSHA Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (226 - 197) |
| July 1, 2005 | National | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| June 30, 2005 | National | H Amdt 427 | Eminent Domain Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (231 - 189) |
| June 30, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| June 30, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 10/20 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
| 10/20 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
| 10/07 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| 10/07 | HR 3893 | Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (212 - 210) |
| 10/05 | S Amdt 2033 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 10/05 | S Amdt 1937 | Health Care for Veterans Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 9/22 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| 9/14 | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 7/29 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 8) |
| 7/29 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 7/29 | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 7/29 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 7/28 | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 156) |
| 7/28 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 10) |
| 7/28 | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 194) |
| 7/26 | S 1042 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 7/20 | HR 2601 | State Department FY 2006/2007 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (351 - 78) |
| 7/14 | S Amdt 1189 | Air Cargo Security Programs Implementation Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
| 7/12 | HR 741 | Independent Review of OSHA Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (226 - 197) |
| 7/01 | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| 6/30 | H Amdt 427 | Eminent Domain Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (231 - 189) |
| 6/30 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| 6/30 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |