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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 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 29, 2005 | National | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 156) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 10) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 194) |
| July 26, 2005 | National | S 1042 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48) |
| July 20, 2005 | National | HR 2601 | State Department FY 2006/2007 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (351 - 78) |
| July 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1189 | Air Cargo Security Programs Implementation Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
| July 12, 2005 | National | HR 741 | Independent Review of OSHA Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (226 - 197) |
| July 1, 2005 | National | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| June 30, 2005 | National | H Amdt 427 | Eminent Domain Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (231 - 189) |
| June 30, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| 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 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 12) |
| June 23, 2005 | National | H Amdt 343 | Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting | Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140) |
| June 23, 2005 | National | H Amdt 343 | Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting | Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140) |
| June 23, 2005 | National | H Amdt 346 | Annual Fit Test Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 216) |
| June 20, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (398 - 19) |
| June 16, 2005 | National | S Amdt 791 | Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| June 8, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (408 - 18) |
| May 25, 2005 | National | HR 1815 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (390 - 39) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/14 | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 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) |
| 7/29 | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 7/28 | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 156) |
| 7/28 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 10) |
| 7/28 | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 194) |
| 7/26 | S 1042 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 7/20 | HR 2601 | State Department FY 2006/2007 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (351 - 78) |
| 7/14 | S Amdt 1189 | Air Cargo Security Programs Implementation Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
| 7/12 | HR 741 | Independent Review of OSHA Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (226 - 197) |
| 7/01 | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| 6/30 | H Amdt 427 | Eminent Domain Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (231 - 189) |
| 6/30 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
| 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 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 12) |
| 6/23 | H Amdt 343 | Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting | Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140) |
| 6/23 | H Amdt 343 | Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting | Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140) |
| 6/23 | H Amdt 346 | Annual Fit Test Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 216) |
| 6/20 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (398 - 19) |
| 6/16 | S Amdt 791 | Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| 6/08 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (408 - 18) |
| 5/25 | HR 1815 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (390 - 39) |