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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (51 - 50) |
| Dec. 19, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| Dec. 8, 2005 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 197) |
| Nov. 18, 2005 | National | S 2020 | Tax Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 33) |
| Nov. 18, 2005 | National | HR 4241 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - House (217 - 215) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2616 | Earned Income Tax Credit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (55 - 43) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2626 | Temporary Tax on Crude Oil Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2610 | Tax Rate Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2650 | Pay As You Go Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2602 | Hurricane Victims Tax Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 55) |
| Nov. 16, 2005 | National | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| Nov. 10, 2005 | National | HR 3057 | Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 0) |
| Nov. 9, 2005 | National | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (339 - 17) |
| Nov. 9, 2005 | National | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (397 - 19) |
| Nov. 4, 2005 | National | HR 3057 | Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (358 - 39) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2351 | Pay As You Go Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Oct. 20, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
| Sept. 15, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 8) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 122) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 10) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/21 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 12/19 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| 12/08 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 197) |
| 11/18 | S 2020 | Tax Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 33) |
| 11/18 | HR 4241 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - House (217 - 215) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2616 | Earned Income Tax Credit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (55 - 43) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2626 | Temporary Tax on Crude Oil Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2610 | Tax Rate Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2650 | Pay As You Go Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2602 | Hurricane Victims Tax Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 55) |
| 11/16 | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 11/10 | HR 3057 | Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 0) |
| 11/09 | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (339 - 17) |
| 11/09 | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (397 - 19) |
| 11/04 | HR 3057 | Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (358 - 39) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2351 | Pay As You Go Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 11/03 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 10/20 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
| 9/15 | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
| 7/29 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 7/29 | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4) |
| 7/29 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 7/29 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 8) |
| 7/28 | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 122) |
| 7/28 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 10) |