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 15, 2005 National H Amdt 272 Medical Marijuana Use Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (161 - 264)
June 22, 2005 National H J Res 10 Flag Desecration Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - House (286 - 130)
Nov. 2, 2005 National HR 1606 Online Freedom of Speech Act Bill Failed - House (225 - 182)
July 29, 2005 National HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4)
July 28, 2005 National HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 122)
June 22, 2005 National HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - House (330 - 82)
July 29, 2005 National HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 8)
July 29, 2005 National HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4)
May 17, 2005 National HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11)
March 10, 2005 National HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Bill Passed - House (417 - 9)
Oct. 20, 2005 National HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1)
June 30, 2005 National HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - House (405 - 18)
Sept. 15, 2005 National H Res 437 Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina Resolution Passed - House (224 - 188)
Feb. 3, 2005 National PN 12 Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36)
May 25, 2005 National PN 194 Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43)
May 24, 2005 National PN 194 Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 18)
June 9, 2005 National PN 200 William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45)
June 8, 2005 National PN 201 Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43)
June 14, 2005 National PN 202 Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24)
Jan. 26, 2005 National PN 8 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
Sept. 29, 2005 National PN 801 Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (78 - 22)
Dec. 21, 2005 National S 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (51 - 50)
Feb. 17, 2005 National S 5 Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (279 - 149)
Feb. 10, 2005 National S 5 Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
March 21, 2005 National S 686 Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill Bill Passed - House (203 - 58)
Sept. 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1670 Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
Sept. 15, 2005 National S Amdt 1678 Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
Oct. 18, 2005 National S Amdt 2062 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2351 Pay As You Go Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49)
Nov. 17, 2005 National S Amdt 2602 Hurricane Victims Tax Benefit Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 55)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/15 H Amdt 272 Medical Marijuana Use Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (161 - 264)
6/22 H J Res 10 Flag Desecration Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - House (286 - 130)
11/02 HR 1606 Online Freedom of Speech Act Bill Failed - House (225 - 182)
7/29 HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4)
7/28 HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 122)
6/22 HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - House (330 - 82)
7/29 HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 8)
7/29 HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4)
5/17 HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11)
3/10 HR 3 Transportation Authorization Bill Bill Passed - House (417 - 9)
10/20 HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1)
6/30 HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - House (405 - 18)
9/15 H Res 437 Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina Resolution Passed - House (224 - 188)
2/03 PN 12 Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36)
5/25 PN 194 Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43)
5/24 PN 194 Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 18)
6/09 PN 200 William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45)
6/08 PN 201 Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43)
6/14 PN 202 Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24)
1/26 PN 8 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
9/29 PN 801 Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (78 - 22)
12/21 S 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (51 - 50)
2/17 S 5 Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (279 - 149)
2/10 S 5 Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
3/21 S 686 Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill Bill Passed - House (203 - 58)
9/14 S Amdt 1670 Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
9/15 S Amdt 1678 Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
10/18 S Amdt 2062 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6)
11/03 S Amdt 2351 Pay As You Go Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49)
11/17 S Amdt 2602 Hurricane Victims Tax Benefit Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 55)

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