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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 14, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (302 - 126) |
| March 21, 2005 | National | S 686 | Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 58) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 229 | Medicaid Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 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 | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (218 - 214) |
| March 16, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| March 16, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| March 10, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| March 10, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| March 10, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| Feb. 17, 2005 | National | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 149) |
| Feb. 10, 2005 | National | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26) |
| Feb. 10, 2005 | National | HR 418 | Real ID Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (261 - 161) |
| 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) |
| Sept. 23, 2004 | National | HR 1308 | Child Tax Credit Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (339 - 65) |
| Sept. 23, 2004 | National | HR 1308 | Child Tax Credit Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3) |
| Sept. 23, 2004 | National | HR 2028 | Pledge of Allegiance Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 173) |
| 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 22, 2004 | National | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 12) |
| July 14, 2004 | National | S J Res 40 | Federal Marriage Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50) |
| July 12, 2004 | National | HR 4755 | Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (327 - 43) |
| June 23, 2004 | National | S 2400 | Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/14 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (302 - 126) |
| 3/21 | S 686 | Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 58) |
| 3/17 | S Amdt 229 | Medicaid Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 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 | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (218 - 214) |
| 3/16 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| 3/16 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| 3/10 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 3/10 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 3/10 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 2/17 | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 149) |
| 2/10 | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26) |
| 2/10 | HR 418 | Real ID Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (261 - 161) |
| 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) |
| 9/23 | HR 1308 | Child Tax Credit Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (339 - 65) |
| 9/23 | HR 1308 | Child Tax Credit Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3) |
| 9/23 | HR 2028 | Pledge of Allegiance Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 173) |
| 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) |
| 7/22 | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 12) |
| 7/14 | S J Res 40 | Federal Marriage Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50) |
| 7/12 | HR 4755 | Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (327 - 43) |
| 6/23 | S 2400 | Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |