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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 21, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (51 - 50) |
Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2602 | Hurricane Victims Tax Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 55) |
Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2351 | Pay As You Go Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49) |
Nov. 2, 2005 | National | HR 1606 | Online Freedom of Speech Act | Bill Failed - House (225 - 182) |
Oct. 20, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
Oct. 18, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2062 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6) |
Sept. 29, 2005 | National | PN 801 | Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court | (78 - 22) |
Sept. 15, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
Sept. 15, 2005 | National | H Res 437 | Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina | Resolution Passed - House (224 - 188) |
Sept. 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
July 29, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
July 29, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 8) |
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 30, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
June 22, 2005 | National | H J Res 10 | Flag Desecration Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (286 - 130) |
June 22, 2005 | National | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 82) |
June 15, 2005 | National | H Amdt 272 | Medical Marijuana Use Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (161 - 264) |
June 14, 2005 | National | PN 202 | Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24) |
June 9, 2005 | National | PN 200 | William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45) |
June 8, 2005 | National | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
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) |
May 17, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11) |
March 21, 2005 | National | S 686 | Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 58) |
March 10, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (417 - 9) |
Feb. 17, 2005 | National | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 149) |
Feb. 10, 2005 | National | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26) |
Feb. 3, 2005 | National | PN 12 | Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36) |
Jan. 26, 2005 | National | PN 8 | Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/21 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (51 - 50) |
11/17 | S Amdt 2602 | Hurricane Victims Tax Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 55) |
11/03 | S Amdt 2351 | Pay As You Go Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49) |
11/02 | HR 1606 | Online Freedom of Speech Act | Bill Failed - House (225 - 182) |
10/20 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
10/18 | S Amdt 2062 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6) |
9/29 | PN 801 | Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court | (78 - 22) |
9/15 | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
9/15 | H Res 437 | Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina | Resolution Passed - House (224 - 188) |
9/14 | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
7/29 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
7/29 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 8) |
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) |
6/30 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - House (405 - 18) |
6/22 | H J Res 10 | Flag Desecration Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (286 - 130) |
6/22 | HR 2985 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 82) |
6/15 | H Amdt 272 | Medical Marijuana Use Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (161 - 264) |
6/14 | PN 202 | Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24) |
6/09 | PN 200 | William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45) |
6/08 | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
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) |
5/17 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11) |
3/21 | S 686 | Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 58) |
3/10 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (417 - 9) |
2/17 | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 149) |
2/10 | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26) |
2/03 | PN 12 | Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36) |
1/26 | PN 8 | Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |