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. 29, 2006 | National | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5104 | Military Commissions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | N/A | Motion to Resolve Into Secret Session | Motion Rejected - House (171 - 217) |
| Sept. 21, 2006 | National | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| Sept. 21, 2006 | National | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| Sept. 21, 2006 | National | S 2832 | Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2006 | Bill Failed - House (215 - 204) |
| Sept. 14, 2006 | National | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (283 - 138) |
| Sept. 13, 2006 | National | HR 4893 | Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes Act | Bill Failed - House (247 - 171) |
| 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) |
| July 29, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 180) |
| July 19, 2006 | National | HR 2389 | Pledge Protection Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (260 - 167) |
| July 18, 2006 | National | H J Res 88 | Same-Sex Marriage Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (236 - 187) |
| July 13, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4659 | Double-Layered Fencing Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
| June 22, 2006 | National | S 2766 | Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 0) |
| June 22, 2006 | National | HR 4890 | Line Item Veto Bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 172) |
| 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 20, 2006 | National | HR 5631 | Defense Department FY2007 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (407 - 19) |
| June 16, 2006 | National | H Res 861 | Global War on Terror | Resolution Passed - House (256 - 153) |
| June 7, 2006 | National | S J Res 1 | Same Sex Marriage Resolution | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 48) |
| June 7, 2006 | National | HR 5521 | Legislative Branch FY 2007 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (361 - 53) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/29 | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19) |
| 9/28 | S Amdt 5104 | Military Commissions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| 9/26 | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
| 9/26 | N/A | Motion to Resolve Into Secret Session | Motion Rejected - House (171 - 217) |
| 9/21 | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| 9/21 | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| 9/21 | S 2832 | Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2006 | Bill Failed - House (215 - 204) |
| 9/14 | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (283 - 138) |
| 9/13 | HR 4893 | Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes Act | Bill Failed - House (247 - 171) |
| 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) |
| 7/29 | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 180) |
| 7/19 | HR 2389 | Pledge Protection Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (260 - 167) |
| 7/18 | H J Res 88 | Same-Sex Marriage Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (236 - 187) |
| 7/13 | S Amdt 4659 | Double-Layered Fencing Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
| 6/22 | S 2766 | Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 0) |
| 6/22 | HR 4890 | Line Item Veto Bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 172) |
| 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) |
| 6/20 | HR 5631 | Defense Department FY2007 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (407 - 19) |
| 6/16 | H Res 861 | Global War on Terror | Resolution Passed - House (256 - 153) |
| 6/07 | S J Res 1 | Same Sex Marriage Resolution | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 48) |
| 6/07 | HR 5521 | Legislative Branch FY 2007 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (361 - 53) |
| 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) |