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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 31, 2006 | National | PN 1059 | Samuel Alito, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
Dec. 6, 2006 | National | PN 2191 | Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2) |
Dec. 7, 2006 | National | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
May 26, 2006 | National | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
Sept. 7, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4909 | Media in the Middle East Amendment | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 44) |
March 30, 2006 | National | H Res 746 | Jack Abramoff Investigation Resolution | Resolution Tabled - House (216 - 193) |
June 21, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4322 | Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
May 17, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3965 | Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4064 | English As National Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35) |
May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4073 | English as Unifying Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
May 18, 2006 | National | H Amdt 856 | Outer Continental Shelf Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (217 - 203) |
May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
March 16, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3074 | LIHEAP Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
Aug. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4775 | Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
July 13, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4615 | Firearm Confiscation Prohibition Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (84 - 16) |
July 11, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4560 | USEMA Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (87 - 11) |
May 3, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3688 | Influenza Vaccine Injury Compensation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
June 28, 2006 | National | H Amdt 1156 | Trigger Lock Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 191) |
June 13, 2006 | National | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (351 - 67) |
June 15, 2006 | National | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
March 2, 2006 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
May 10, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185) |
May 11, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
Sept. 29, 2006 | National | HR 5441 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 6) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
1/31 | PN 1059 | Samuel Alito, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
12/06 | PN 2191 | Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2) |
12/07 | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
5/26 | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
9/07 | S Amdt 4909 | Media in the Middle East Amendment | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 44) |
3/30 | H Res 746 | Jack Abramoff Investigation Resolution | Resolution Tabled - House (216 - 193) |
6/21 | S Amdt 4322 | Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
5/17 | S Amdt 3965 | Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
5/18 | S Amdt 4064 | English As National Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35) |
5/18 | S Amdt 4073 | English as Unifying Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
5/18 | H Amdt 856 | Outer Continental Shelf Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (217 - 203) |
5/23 | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
3/16 | S Amdt 3074 | LIHEAP Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
8/02 | S Amdt 4775 | Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
7/13 | S Amdt 4615 | Firearm Confiscation Prohibition Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (84 - 16) |
7/11 | S Amdt 4560 | USEMA Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (87 - 11) |
5/03 | S Amdt 3688 | Influenza Vaccine Injury Compensation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
6/28 | H Amdt 1156 | Trigger Lock Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 191) |
6/13 | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - House (351 - 67) |
6/15 | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
3/02 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
9/26 | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
5/10 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185) |
5/11 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
9/29 | HR 5441 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 6) |