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. 7, 2006 | National | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
| Dec. 7, 2006 | National | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1379 | Biomonitoring Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1379 | Biomonitoring Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 30, 2006 | CA | AB 32 | Greenhouse Gases Emission Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Aug. 30, 2006 | CA | AB 2076 | Needle Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Aug. 30, 2006 | CA | AB 2076 | Needle Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Aug. 29, 2006 | CA | AB 1953 | Amount of Lead in Plumbing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| Aug. 29, 2006 | CA | AB 2496 | Water Conservation: Low-Flush Water Closet | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Aug. 3, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| Aug. 1, 2006 | National | S 3711 | Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (71 - 25) |
| July 25, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| July 19, 2006 | NC | HB 2699 | Early Childhood Vision Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| July 18, 2006 | NC | HB 2873 | Drinking Water From Private Wells Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| July 18, 2006 | National | HR 810 | Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| July 18, 2006 | NC | HB 2873 | Drinking Water From Private Wells Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4705 | Tobacco Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4707 | Luxury and Fuel Inefficient Automobiles | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| June 27, 2006 | CA | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| June 8, 2006 | AK | CCS SB 2001 | Oil and Gas Tax (Special Session) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 6) |
| June 7, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| June 7, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/07 | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
| 12/07 | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
| 8/31 | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 8/31 | SB 1379 | Biomonitoring Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 8/31 | SB 1379 | Biomonitoring Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 8/30 | AB 32 | Greenhouse Gases Emission Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 8/30 | AB 2076 | Needle Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 8/30 | AB 2076 | Needle Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 8/29 | AB 1953 | Amount of Lead in Plumbing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 8/29 | AB 2496 | Water Conservation: Low-Flush Water Closet | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 8/03 | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 8/01 | S 3711 | Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (71 - 25) |
| 7/25 | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 7/19 | HB 2699 | Early Childhood Vision Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| 7/18 | HB 2873 | Drinking Water From Private Wells Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 7/18 | HR 810 | Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 7/18 | HB 2873 | Drinking Water From Private Wells Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 7/13 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 7/13 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 7/08 | A 4705 | Tobacco Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 7/08 | A 4707 | Luxury and Fuel Inefficient Automobiles | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 6/27 | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| 6/08 | CCS SB 2001 | Oil and Gas Tax (Special Session) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 6) |
| 6/07 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 6/07 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |