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
Aug. 1, 2006 National S 3711 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (71 - 25)
Sept. 28, 2006 National S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
Sept. 29, 2006 National S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (250 - 170)
July 25, 2006 National S 403 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
Sept. 26, 2006 National S 403 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act Bill Passed - House (264 - 153)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2730 Medicare Part D Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2735 Tax Rate Extension Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2737 Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
March 14, 2006 National S Amdt 3013 Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3128 ANWR Revenues Amendment Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3166 National Defense Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
May 2, 2006 National S Amdt 3617 Sugarcane Growers Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
May 3, 2006 National S Amdt 3688 Influenza Vaccine Injury Compensation Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 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 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
May 18, 2006 National S Amdt 4073 English as Unifying Language Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39)
May 23, 2006 National S Amdt 4087 Orange Card Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
May 24, 2006 National S Amdt 4095 H-2C Visa Program Ammendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
May 25, 2006 National S Amdt 4097 Confidentiality Requirement Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49)
May 23, 2006 National S Amdt 4177 Employer Verification Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39)
June 21, 2006 National S Amdt 4322 Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/01 S 3711 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (71 - 25)
9/28 S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
9/29 S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (250 - 170)
7/25 S 403 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
9/26 S 403 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act Bill Passed - House (264 - 153)
2/02 S Amdt 2730 Medicare Part D Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45)
2/02 S Amdt 2735 Tax Rate Extension Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
2/02 S Amdt 2737 Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
3/14 S Amdt 3013 Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
3/16 S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
3/16 S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
3/16 S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
3/16 S Amdt 3128 ANWR Revenues Amendment Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
3/16 S Amdt 3166 National Defense Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
5/02 S Amdt 3617 Sugarcane Growers Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
5/03 S Amdt 3688 Influenza Vaccine Injury Compensation Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 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 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
5/18 S Amdt 4073 English as Unifying Language Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39)
5/23 S Amdt 4087 Orange Card Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
5/24 S Amdt 4095 H-2C Visa Program Ammendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
5/25 S Amdt 4097 Confidentiality Requirement Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49)
5/23 S Amdt 4177 Employer Verification Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39)
6/21 S Amdt 4322 Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)

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