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. 6, 2006 | National | PN 2191 | Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5095 | Oversight of CIA Interrogation and Detention Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5104 | Military Commissions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| Sept. 13, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4999 | Security of Cargo Containers Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| Sept. 13, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4936 | National Security Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 57) |
| Sept. 7, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4909 | Media in the Middle East Amendment | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 44) |
| Sept. 6, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4882 | Cluster Munitions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 70) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1613 | Prohibition on Wireless Phone Use While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1379 | Biomonitoring Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 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 1953 | Amount of Lead in Plumbing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| Aug. 22, 2006 | CA | AB 2108 | Child Booster and Seat Belt Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| July 19, 2006 | NC | HB 2699 | Early Childhood Vision Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| 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 | NC | HB 2873 | Drinking Water From Private Wells Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| July 14, 2006 | IA | HF 2351 | Eminent Domain | Veto Override Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| July 12, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4553 | Rail and Transit Security Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| July 12, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4587 | Transit Security Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4707 | Luxury and Fuel Inefficient Automobiles | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/07 | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
| 12/06 | PN 2191 | Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2) |
| 9/28 | S Amdt 5095 | Oversight of CIA Interrogation and Detention Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 9/28 | S Amdt 5104 | Military Commissions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| 9/28 | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| 9/13 | S Amdt 4999 | Security of Cargo Containers Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| 9/13 | S Amdt 4936 | National Security Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 57) |
| 9/07 | S Amdt 4909 | Media in the Middle East Amendment | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 44) |
| 9/06 | S Amdt 4882 | Cluster Munitions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 70) |
| 8/31 | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 8/31 | SB 1613 | Prohibition on Wireless Phone Use While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 8/31 | SB 1379 | Biomonitoring Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 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 1953 | Amount of Lead in Plumbing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 8/22 | AB 2108 | Child Booster and Seat Belt Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 7/19 | HB 2699 | Early Childhood Vision Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| 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 | HB 2873 | Drinking Water From Private Wells Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 7/14 | HF 2351 | Eminent Domain | Veto Override Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| 7/13 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 7/12 | S Amdt 4553 | Rail and Transit Security Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 7/12 | S Amdt 4587 | Transit Security Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 7/08 | A 4707 | Luxury and Fuel Inefficient Automobiles | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |