Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 177 Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 211 Native American Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 244 Unintended Pregnancy Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 214 Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 229 Medicaid Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
March 17, 2005 National S Con Res 18 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
March 16, 2005 National S Amdt 168 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
March 10, 2005 National S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
March 8, 2005 National S Amdt 47 Violent Protestor Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
March 7, 2005 National S Amdt 128 Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61)
March 7, 2005 National S Amdt 44 Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 49)
Feb. 10, 2005 National S 5 Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
Feb. 3, 2005 National PN 12 Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36)
Jan. 26, 2005 National PN 8 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
Oct. 11, 2004 National HR 4520 JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17)
Oct. 6, 2004 National S 2845 National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2)
Sept. 23, 2004 National HR 1308 Child Tax Credit Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3)
Sept. 21, 2004 National HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
July 22, 2004 National HR 4613 Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0)
July 14, 2004 National S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
June 23, 2004 National S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
May 21, 2004 National S Res 356 Resolution Condemning Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners Resolution Passed - Senate (92 - 0)
May 13, 2004 National HR 1350 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
May 11, 2004 National S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
May 11, 2004 National S 1637 Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/17 S Amdt 177 Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
3/17 S Amdt 211 Native American Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55)
3/17 S Amdt 244 Unintended Pregnancy Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
3/17 S Amdt 214 Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
3/17 S Amdt 229 Medicaid Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
3/17 S Con Res 18 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
3/16 S Amdt 168 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
3/10 S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
3/08 S Amdt 47 Violent Protestor Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
3/07 S Amdt 128 Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61)
3/07 S Amdt 44 Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 49)
2/10 S 5 Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
2/03 PN 12 Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36)
1/26 PN 8 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
10/11 HR 4520 JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17)
10/06 S 2845 National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2)
9/23 HR 1308 Child Tax Credit Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3)
9/21 HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
7/22 HR 4613 Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0)
7/14 S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
6/23 S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
5/21 S Res 356 Resolution Condemning Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners Resolution Passed - Senate (92 - 0)
5/13 HR 1350 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
5/11 S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
5/11 S 1637 Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5)

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