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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 27, 2007 | National | S Amdt 643 | Iraq Withdrawal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 50) |
| March 15, 2007 | National | S J Res 9 | United States Policy in Iraq Resolution of 2007 | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (48 - 50) |
| June 22, 2006 | National | S 2766 | Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 0) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 2737 | Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 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) |
| Nov. 15, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2519 | Reporting Matters in Iraq Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 58) |
| Nov. 15, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2518 | Iraq Progress Reports Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
| Nov. 15, 2005 | National | S 1042 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 0) |
| Oct. 7, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| July 26, 2005 | National | S 1042 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48) |
| May 10, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| March 10, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| July 22, 2004 | National | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0) |
| 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) |
| Oct. 17, 2003 | National | S 1689 | Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| May 22, 2003 | National | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1) |
| Aug. 1, 2002 | National | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3) |
| July 18, 2002 | National | HR 5011 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| June 21, 2002 | National | S Amdt 3927 | Military Abortion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
| Dec. 13, 2001 | National | S 1438 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2) |
| Dec. 7, 2001 | National | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/27 | S Amdt 643 | Iraq Withdrawal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 50) |
| 3/15 | S J Res 9 | United States Policy in Iraq Resolution of 2007 | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (48 - 50) |
| 6/22 | S 2766 | Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 0) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2737 | Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 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) |
| 11/15 | S Amdt 2519 | Reporting Matters in Iraq Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 58) |
| 11/15 | S Amdt 2518 | Iraq Progress Reports Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
| 11/15 | S 1042 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 0) |
| 10/07 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| 7/26 | S 1042 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 5/10 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0) |
| 4/21 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| 3/10 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 7/22 | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0) |
| 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) |
| 10/17 | S 1689 | Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| 5/22 | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 10/16 | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1) |
| 8/01 | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3) |
| 7/18 | HR 5011 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| 6/21 | S Amdt 3927 | Military Abortion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
| 12/13 | S 1438 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2) |
| 12/07 | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |