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
March 16, 2006 National S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
May 25, 2006 National S Amdt 4097 Confidentiality Requirement Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49)
June 22, 2006 National S 2766 Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 0)
May 23, 2006 National S Amdt 4177 Employer Verification Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39)
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 24, 2006 National S Amdt 4095 H-2C Visa Program Ammendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
May 25, 2006 National S 2611 Immigration Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
June 21, 2006 National S Amdt 4376 Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2730 Medicare Part D Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45)
Sept. 28, 2006 National S Amdt 5104 Military Commissions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2737 Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
June 21, 2006 National S Amdt 4322 Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
May 23, 2006 National S Amdt 4087 Orange Card Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
Sept. 29, 2006 National HR 6061 Secure Fence Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19)
May 18, 2006 National S Amdt 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2735 Tax Rate Extension Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
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)
Jan. 31, 2006 National PN 1059 Samuel Alito, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42)
Aug. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 4775 Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3)
July 13, 2006 National S Amdt 4659 Double-Layered Fencing Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
May 11, 2006 National HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
Feb. 2, 2006 National HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/16 S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
5/25 S Amdt 4097 Confidentiality Requirement Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49)
6/22 S 2766 Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 0)
5/23 S Amdt 4177 Employer Verification Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39)
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)
5/24 S Amdt 4095 H-2C Visa Program Ammendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
5/25 S 2611 Immigration Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
6/21 S Amdt 4376 Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53)
3/16 S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
2/02 S Amdt 2730 Medicare Part D Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45)
9/28 S Amdt 5104 Military Commissions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52)
2/02 S Amdt 2737 Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
6/21 S Amdt 4322 Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
5/23 S Amdt 4087 Orange Card Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
9/29 HR 6061 Secure Fence Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19)
5/18 S Amdt 4072 "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
2/02 S Amdt 2735 Tax Rate Extension Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
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)
1/31 PN 1059 Samuel Alito, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42)
8/02 S Amdt 4775 Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3)
7/13 S Amdt 4659 Double-Layered Fencing Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
5/11 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
2/02 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31)

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