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 280 Patriot Act Amendment - Library Records Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 187)
May 5, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 58)
May 10, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
April 21, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
March 16, 2005 National HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - House (388 - 43)
May 18, 2005 National HR 1817 Homeland Security Department Authorization Act FY06 Bill Passed - House (424 - 4)
July 14, 2005 National HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
May 17, 2005 National HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - House (424 - 1)
Dec. 21, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44)
Dec. 21, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0)
Dec. 19, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106)
Oct. 7, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
June 20, 2005 National HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (398 - 19)
Dec. 16, 2005 National HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
July 21, 2005 National HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Motion Rejected - House (209 - 218)
Dec. 14, 2005 National HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Conference Report Adopted - House (251 - 174)
July 21, 2005 National HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Bill Passed - House (257 - 171)
Feb. 10, 2005 National HR 418 Real ID Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (261 - 161)
Dec. 16, 2005 National HR 4437 Border Security Bill Bill Passed - House (239 - 182)
Sept. 15, 2005 National H Res 437 Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina Resolution Passed - House (224 - 188)
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
July 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1222 Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
July 26, 2005 National S Amdt 1351 Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
Sept. 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1660 Congressional Commission on Hurricane Katrina Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 220 Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/15 H Amdt 280 Patriot Act Amendment - Library Records Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 187)
5/05 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 58)
5/10 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0)
4/21 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
3/16 HR 1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 Bill Passed - House (388 - 43)
5/18 HR 1817 Homeland Security Department Authorization Act FY06 Bill Passed - House (424 - 4)
7/14 HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
5/17 HR 2360 Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act Bill Passed - House (424 - 1)
12/21 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44)
12/21 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0)
12/19 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106)
10/07 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
6/20 HR 2863 Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (398 - 19)
12/16 HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
7/21 HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Motion Rejected - House (209 - 218)
12/14 HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Conference Report Adopted - House (251 - 174)
7/21 HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Bill Passed - House (257 - 171)
2/10 HR 418 Real ID Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (261 - 161)
12/16 HR 4437 Border Security Bill Bill Passed - House (239 - 182)
9/15 H Res 437 Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina Resolution Passed - House (224 - 188)
7/14 S Amdt 1171 Detention Beds Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 56)
7/14 S Amdt 1222 Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
7/26 S Amdt 1351 Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
9/14 S Amdt 1660 Congressional Commission on Hurricane Katrina Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
3/17 S Amdt 220 Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37)

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