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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 14, 2005 | National | PN 202 | Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24) |
| June 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 781 | Environmental Effects Caused by Ethanol Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 38) |
| June 9, 2005 | National | PN 200 | William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45) |
| June 9, 2005 | National | H J Res 27 | Withdrawing Approval from the WTO Agreement | Joint Resolution Failed - House (86 - 338) |
| June 8, 2005 | National | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| June 8, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (408 - 18) |
| May 26, 2005 | National | PN 326 | John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| May 25, 2005 | National | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43) |
| May 25, 2005 | National | H Amdt 209 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| May 25, 2005 | National | HR 1815 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (390 - 39) |
| May 24, 2005 | National | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 18) |
| May 24, 2005 | National | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - House (416 - 13) |
| May 24, 2005 | National | HR 810 | Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (238 - 194) |
| May 19, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (329 - 89) |
| May 18, 2005 | National | HR 1817 | Homeland Security Department Authorization Act FY06 | Bill Passed - House (424 - 4) |
| May 17, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11) |
| May 17, 2005 | National | HR 2360 | Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (424 - 1) |
| May 10, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0) |
| May 5, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 58) |
| April 28, 2005 | National | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 211) |
| April 28, 2005 | National | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| April 27, 2005 | National | HR 748 | Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act | Bill Passed - House (270 - 157) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (249 - 183) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/14 | PN 202 | Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24) |
| 6/14 | S Amdt 781 | Environmental Effects Caused by Ethanol Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 38) |
| 6/09 | PN 200 | William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 6/09 | H J Res 27 | Withdrawing Approval from the WTO Agreement | Joint Resolution Failed - House (86 - 338) |
| 6/08 | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 6/08 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (408 - 18) |
| 5/26 | PN 326 | John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 5/25 | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43) |
| 5/25 | H Amdt 209 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| 5/25 | HR 1815 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (390 - 39) |
| 5/24 | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 5/24 | HR 2419 | Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2006 | Bill Passed - House (416 - 13) |
| 5/24 | HR 810 | Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (238 - 194) |
| 5/19 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (329 - 89) |
| 5/18 | HR 1817 | Homeland Security Department Authorization Act FY06 | Bill Passed - House (424 - 4) |
| 5/17 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11) |
| 5/17 | HR 2360 | Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (424 - 1) |
| 5/10 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0) |
| 5/05 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 58) |
| 4/28 | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 211) |
| 4/28 | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 4/27 | HR 748 | Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act | Bill Passed - House (270 - 157) |
| 4/21 | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| 4/21 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| 4/21 | HR 6 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (249 - 183) |