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
Sept. 28, 2006 National S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
Sept. 28, 2006 National HR 5825 Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 191)
Sept. 29, 2006 National HR 6061 Secure Fence Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19)
Sept. 29, 2006 National HR 4772 Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (231 - 181)
Sept. 29, 2006 National S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (250 - 170)
July 19, 2006 National HR 810 Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 Veto Override Failed - House (235 - 193)
June 7, 2006 National S J Res 1 Same Sex Marriage Resolution Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 48)
Aug. 3, 2006 National HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2730 Medicare Part D Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45)
Sept. 28, 2006 National S Amdt 5087 Habeas Review Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
May 25, 2006 National S Amdt 4097 Confidentiality Requirement Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49)
March 14, 2006 National S Amdt 3013 Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
May 24, 2006 National S Amdt 4095 H-2C Visa Program Ammendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3166 National Defense Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
May 23, 2006 National S Amdt 4087 Orange Card Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
June 21, 2006 National S Amdt 4376 Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53)
June 22, 2006 National S Amdt 4442 Troop Redeployment Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (13 - 86)
Sept. 6, 2006 National S Amdt 4882 Cluster Munitions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 70)
May 18, 2006 National S Amdt 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2735 Tax Rate Extension Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
May 18, 2006 National H Amdt 842 Outer Continental Shelf for Gas and Oil Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (141 - 279)
July 25, 2006 National S Amdt 4689 Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
Sept. 13, 2006 National S Amdt 4999 Security of Cargo Containers Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/28 S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
9/28 HR 5825 Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 191)
9/29 HR 6061 Secure Fence Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19)
9/29 HR 4772 Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (231 - 181)
9/29 S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (250 - 170)
7/19 HR 810 Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 Veto Override Failed - House (235 - 193)
6/07 S J Res 1 Same Sex Marriage Resolution Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 48)
8/03 HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
3/16 S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
2/02 S Amdt 2730 Medicare Part D Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45)
9/28 S Amdt 5087 Habeas Review Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
5/25 S Amdt 4097 Confidentiality Requirement Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49)
3/14 S Amdt 3013 Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
5/24 S Amdt 4095 H-2C Visa Program Ammendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
3/16 S Amdt 3166 National Defense Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
5/23 S Amdt 4087 Orange Card Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
6/21 S Amdt 4376 Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53)
6/22 S Amdt 4442 Troop Redeployment Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (13 - 86)
9/06 S Amdt 4882 Cluster Munitions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 70)
5/18 S Amdt 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
3/16 S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
2/02 S Amdt 2735 Tax Rate Extension Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
5/18 H Amdt 842 Outer Continental Shelf for Gas and Oil Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (141 - 279)
7/25 S Amdt 4689 Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
9/13 S Amdt 4999 Security of Cargo Containers Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55)

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