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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 1, 2006 | National | S 3711 | Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (71 - 25) |
| July 25, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| July 18, 2006 | National | HR 810 | Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| May 3, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3688 | Influenza Vaccine Injury Compensation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3103 | Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | S Con Res 74 | Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2601 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Nov. 16, 2005 | National | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2357 | Medicare Premiums Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2356 | Hurricane Health Care for Survivors Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2358 | ANWR Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2365 | Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2371 | Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2409 | Targeted Case Management Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2348 | Medicaid Generic Drug Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2400 | Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 18) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Oct. 27, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2259 | AIDS Drug Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/01 | S 3711 | Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (71 - 25) |
| 7/25 | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 7/18 | HR 810 | Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 5/03 | S Amdt 3688 | Influenza Vaccine Injury Compensation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 3/16 | S Amdt 3103 | Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49) |
| 3/16 | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 3/16 | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
| 12/21 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44) |
| 12/21 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0) |
| 12/21 | S Con Res 74 | Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2601 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 11/16 | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2357 | Medicare Premiums Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2356 | Hurricane Health Care for Survivors Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2358 | ANWR Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2365 | Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2371 | Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2409 | Targeted Case Management Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2348 | Medicaid Generic Drug Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2400 | Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 11/03 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 11/03 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 11/03 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 10/27 | S Amdt 2259 | AIDS Drug Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |