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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 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) |
| July 20, 2005 | National | HR 3057 | Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| July 19, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1241 | US Agency for International Development Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| July 14, 2005 | National | HR 2360 | Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| July 1, 2005 | National | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| June 30, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| June 29, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 0) |
| June 28, 2005 | National | HR 3057 | Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (393 - 32) |
| June 23, 2005 | National | H Amdt 343 | Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting | Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140) |
| June 22, 2005 | National | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 82) |
| June 17, 2005 | National | HR 2745 | United Nations Reform Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (221 - 184) |
| June 16, 2005 | National | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Bill Passed - House (418 - 7) |
| May 24, 2005 | National | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - House (416 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 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) |
| 7/20 | HR 3057 | Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 7/19 | S Amdt 1241 | US Agency for International Development Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 7/14 | HR 2360 | Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 7/01 | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| 6/30 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| 6/29 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 0) |
| 6/28 | HR 3057 | Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (393 - 32) |
| 6/23 | H Amdt 343 | Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting | Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140) |
| 6/22 | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 82) |
| 6/17 | HR 2745 | United Nations Reform Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (221 - 184) |
| 6/16 | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Bill Passed - House (418 - 7) |
| 5/24 | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - House (416 - 13) |