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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 27, 2006 National S J Res 12 Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment Resolution Failed - Senate (66 - 34)
June 22, 2006 National S Amdt 4442 Troop Redeployment Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (13 - 86)
June 22, 2006 National S 2766 Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 0)
June 21, 2006 National S Amdt 4322 Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
June 21, 2006 National S Amdt 4376 Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53)
June 15, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
June 7, 2006 National S J Res 1 Same Sex Marriage Resolution Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 48)
May 26, 2006 National PN 1552 Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15)
May 25, 2006 National S Amdt 4097 Confidentiality Requirement Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49)
May 25, 2006 National S 2611 Immigration Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
May 24, 2006 National S Amdt 4095 H-2C Visa Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
May 23, 2006 National S Amdt 4177 Employer Verification Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39)
May 23, 2006 National S Amdt 4087 Orange Card Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
May 18, 2006 National S Amdt 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
May 18, 2006 National S Amdt 4064 English As National Language Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35)
May 18, 2006 National S Amdt 4073 English as Unifying Language Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39)
May 17, 2006 National S Amdt 3965 Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48)
May 11, 2006 National HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
May 4, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
May 3, 2006 National S Amdt 3688 Influenza Vaccine Injury Compensation Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46)
May 2, 2006 National S Amdt 3617 Sugarcane Growers Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3166 National Defense Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/27 S J Res 12 Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment Resolution Failed - Senate (66 - 34)
6/22 S Amdt 4442 Troop Redeployment Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (13 - 86)
6/22 S 2766 Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 0)
6/21 S Amdt 4322 Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
6/21 S Amdt 4376 Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53)
6/15 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
6/07 S J Res 1 Same Sex Marriage Resolution Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 48)
5/26 PN 1552 Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15)
5/25 S Amdt 4097 Confidentiality Requirement Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49)
5/25 S 2611 Immigration Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
5/24 S Amdt 4095 H-2C Visa Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
5/23 S Amdt 4177 Employer Verification Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39)
5/23 S Amdt 4087 Orange Card Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
5/18 S Amdt 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
5/18 S Amdt 4064 English As National Language Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35)
5/18 S Amdt 4073 English as Unifying Language Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39)
5/17 S Amdt 3965 Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48)
5/11 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
5/04 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
5/03 S Amdt 3688 Influenza Vaccine Injury Compensation Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46)
5/02 S Amdt 3617 Sugarcane Growers Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
3/16 S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
3/16 S Amdt 3166 National Defense Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
3/16 S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
3/16 S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)

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