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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 7, 2006 National PN 1396 Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11)
Dec. 6, 2006 National PN 2191 Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2)
Sept. 29, 2006 National HR 6061 Secure Fence Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19)
Sept. 28, 2006 National S Amdt 5095 Oversight of CIA Interrogation and Detention Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
Sept. 28, 2006 National S Amdt 5104 Military Commissions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52)
Sept. 28, 2006 National S Amdt 5087 Habeas Review Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
Sept. 28, 2006 National S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
Sept. 19, 2006 National HR 5684 U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 32)
Sept. 13, 2006 National S Amdt 4999 Security of Cargo Containers Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
Sept. 13, 2006 National S Amdt 4936 National Security Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 57)
Sept. 7, 2006 National S Amdt 4909 Media in the Middle East Amendment Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 44)
Sept. 6, 2006 National S Amdt 4882 Cluster Munitions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 70)
Aug. 3, 2006 National HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
Aug. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 4775 Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3)
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 25, 2006 National S 403 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
July 18, 2006 National HR 810 Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37)
July 13, 2006 National S Amdt 4615 Firearm Confiscation Prohibition Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (84 - 16)
July 13, 2006 National S Amdt 4659 Double-Layered Fencing Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
July 12, 2006 National S Amdt 4553 Rail and Transit Security Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
July 12, 2006 National S Amdt 4587 Transit Security Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
July 11, 2006 National S Amdt 4560 USEMA Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (87 - 11)
July 11, 2006 National S Amdt 4563 FEMA Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66)
June 29, 2006 National S 3569 U.S. -Oman Free Trade Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 34)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/07 PN 1396 Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11)
12/06 PN 2191 Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2)
9/29 HR 6061 Secure Fence Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19)
9/28 S Amdt 5095 Oversight of CIA Interrogation and Detention Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
9/28 S Amdt 5104 Military Commissions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52)
9/28 S Amdt 5087 Habeas Review Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
9/28 S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
9/19 HR 5684 U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 32)
9/13 S Amdt 4999 Security of Cargo Containers Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
9/13 S Amdt 4936 National Security Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 57)
9/07 S Amdt 4909 Media in the Middle East Amendment Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 44)
9/06 S Amdt 4882 Cluster Munitions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 70)
8/03 HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
8/02 S Amdt 4775 Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3)
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)
7/25 S 403 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
7/18 HR 810 Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37)
7/13 S Amdt 4615 Firearm Confiscation Prohibition Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (84 - 16)
7/13 S Amdt 4659 Double-Layered Fencing Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
7/12 S Amdt 4553 Rail and Transit Security Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
7/12 S Amdt 4587 Transit Security Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
7/11 S Amdt 4560 USEMA Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (87 - 11)
7/11 S Amdt 4563 FEMA Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66)
6/29 S 3569 U.S. -Oman Free Trade Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 34)

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