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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
April 28, 2005 National H Con Res 95 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
April 28, 2005 National H Con Res 95 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 211)
Dec. 19, 2005 National S 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (212 - 206)
Dec. 21, 2005 National S 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (51 - 50)
Nov. 9, 2005 National HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - House (397 - 19)
Nov. 16, 2005 National HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
Oct. 18, 2005 National S Amdt 2062 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6)
Dec. 19, 2005 National HR 1815 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 41)
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 16, 2005 National S Amdt 784 Reduction in Dependence on Foreign Oil Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
March 21, 2005 National S 686 Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill Bill Passed - House (203 - 58)
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)
May 24, 2005 National HR 810 Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 Bill Passed - House (238 - 194)
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 20, 2005 National PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 38)
May 26, 2005 National PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
July 26, 2005 National S 1042 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48)
Nov. 15, 2005 National S 1042 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 0)
July 26, 2005 National S Amdt 1351 Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
Nov. 8, 2005 National S Amdt 2430 National Commission on Detainees Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
Nov. 10, 2005 National S Amdt 2476 Investigating Contracts in Iraq Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/28 H Con Res 95 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
4/28 H Con Res 95 Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 211)
12/19 S 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (212 - 206)
12/21 S 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (51 - 50)
11/09 HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - House (397 - 19)
11/16 HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
10/18 S Amdt 2062 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6)
12/19 HR 1815 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 41)
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)
6/16 S Amdt 784 Reduction in Dependence on Foreign Oil Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
3/21 S 686 Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill Bill Passed - House (203 - 58)
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)
5/24 HR 810 Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 Bill Passed - House (238 - 194)
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)
6/20 PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 38)
5/26 PN 326 John Bolton, Ambassador to the United Nations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
7/26 S 1042 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 48)
11/15 S 1042 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 0)
7/26 S Amdt 1351 Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
11/08 S Amdt 2430 National Commission on Detainees Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
11/10 S Amdt 2476 Investigating Contracts in Iraq Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)

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