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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 17, 2007 | National | H Amdt 197 | Guantanamo Transfer Plan | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 208) |
Sept. 29, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
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 5087 | Habeas Review Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
Sept. 20, 2006 | National | HR 4844 | Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 196) |
July 19, 2006 | National | HR 2389 | Pledge Protection Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (260 - 167) |
July 13, 2006 | National | HR 9 | Voting Rights Act Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (390 - 33) |
March 2, 2006 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
Dec. 16, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
Dec. 14, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - House (251 - 174) |
Nov. 2, 2005 | National | HR 1606 | Online Freedom of Speech Act | Bill Failed - House (225 - 182) |
July 21, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Motion Rejected - House (209 - 218) |
July 21, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (257 - 171) |
June 17, 2005 | National | HR 2745 | United Nations Reform Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (221 - 184) |
June 15, 2005 | National | H Amdt 280 | Patriot Act Amendment - Library Records | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 187) |
March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
Oct. 10, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
April 11, 2002 | National | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
Feb. 27, 2002 | National | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
Oct. 25, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
Oct. 24, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (357 - 66) |
Oct. 12, 2001 | National | HR 2975 | Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (337 - 79) |
July 17, 2001 | National | H J Res 36 | Flag Burning Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (298 - 125) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
5/17 | H Amdt 197 | Guantanamo Transfer Plan | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 208) |
9/29 | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 170) |
9/28 | S Amdt 5095 | Oversight of CIA Interrogation and Detention Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
9/28 | S Amdt 5087 | Habeas Review Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
9/28 | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
9/20 | HR 4844 | Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 196) |
7/19 | HR 2389 | Pledge Protection Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (260 - 167) |
7/13 | HR 9 | Voting Rights Act Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (390 - 33) |
3/02 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
12/16 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
12/14 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - House (251 - 174) |
11/02 | HR 1606 | Online Freedom of Speech Act | Bill Failed - House (225 - 182) |
7/21 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Motion Rejected - House (209 - 218) |
7/21 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (257 - 171) |
6/17 | HR 2745 | United Nations Reform Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (221 - 184) |
6/15 | H Amdt 280 | Patriot Act Amendment - Library Records | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 187) |
3/08 | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
10/16 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
10/10 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
4/11 | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
2/27 | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
10/25 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
10/24 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (357 - 66) |
10/12 | HR 2975 | Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (337 - 79) |
7/17 | H J Res 36 | Flag Burning Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (298 - 125) |