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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 5441 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 6) |
| Sept. 29, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
| Sept. 29, 2006 | National | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (231 - 181) |
| 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 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| Sept. 27, 2006 | National | HR 6166 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (253 - 168) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2005 | Bill Failed - House (234 - 172) |
| 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. 13, 2006 | National | HR 4893 | Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes Act | Bill Failed - House (247 - 171) |
| 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) |
| July 27, 2006 | National | HR 4157 | Better Health Information Systems Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (270 - 148) |
| July 26, 2006 | National | HR 5682 | U.S.and India Nuclear Cooperation Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (359 - 68) |
| 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 12, 2006 | National | HR 2990 | Credit Rating Agency Duopoly Relief Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 166) |
| July 11, 2006 | National | H Amdt 1179 | Online Gambling Ban Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 297) |
| July 11, 2006 | National | HR 4411 | Internet Gambling Bill | Bill Passed - House (317 - 93) |
| 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) |
| 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 5441 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 6) |
| 9/29 | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
| 9/29 | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (231 - 181) |
| 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 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| 9/27 | HR 6166 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (253 - 168) |
| 9/26 | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
| 9/26 | HR 4772 | Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2005 | Bill Failed - House (234 - 172) |
| 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) |
| 9/13 | HR 4893 | Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes Act | Bill Failed - House (247 - 171) |
| 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) |
| 7/27 | HR 4157 | Better Health Information Systems Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (270 - 148) |
| 7/26 | HR 5682 | U.S.and India Nuclear Cooperation Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (359 - 68) |
| 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) |
| 7/12 | HR 2990 | Credit Rating Agency Duopoly Relief Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 166) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1179 | Online Gambling Ban Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 297) |
| 7/11 | HR 4411 | Internet Gambling Bill | Bill Passed - House (317 - 93) |
| 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) |