National Government Operations 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
May 24, 2005 National PN 194 Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 18)
May 17, 2005 National HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11)
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)
Sept. 21, 2004 National HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
July 14, 2004 National S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
July 14, 2004 National S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
Oct. 23, 2003 National S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
July 11, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
April 11, 2003 National H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
March 26, 2003 National S Con Res 23 Budget Resolution FY2004 Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44)
March 19, 2003 National S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
Feb. 13, 2003 National H J Res 2 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 20)
Nov. 19, 2002 National HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
Oct. 16, 2002 National HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
Oct. 16, 2002 National HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
July 25, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
June 11, 2002 National S 625 Hate Crimes Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43)
April 11, 2002 National S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
April 11, 2002 National S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
Feb. 27, 2002 National S Amdt 2937 Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51)
Dec. 7, 2001 National HR 2944 District of Columbia FY2002 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 20)
Dec. 4, 2001 National HR 2299 Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (97 - 2)
Nov. 15, 2001 National HR 2330 Agriculture FY2002 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/24 PN 194 Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 18)
5/17 HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11)
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)
9/21 HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
7/14 S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
7/14 S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
10/23 S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
7/11 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
4/11 H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
3/26 S Con Res 23 Budget Resolution FY2004 Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44)
3/19 S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
2/13 H J Res 2 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 20)
11/19 HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
10/16 HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
10/16 HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
7/25 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
6/11 S 625 Hate Crimes Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43)
4/11 S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
4/11 S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
2/27 S Amdt 2937 Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51)
12/07 HR 2944 District of Columbia FY2002 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 20)
12/04 HR 2299 Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (97 - 2)
11/15 HR 2330 Agriculture FY2002 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)

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