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National Key Votes

Date Bill No. Bill Title Outcome Vote
March 20, 2013 HR 933 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 Bill Passed - Senate
(73 - 26)
Nay
Feb. 26, 2013 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate
(58 - 41)
Nay
Feb. 26, 2013 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Invoked - Senate
(71 - 27)
Yea
Feb. 14, 2013 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(58 - 40)
Nay
Dec. 21, 2012 HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(81 - 14)
Yea
Nov. 29, 2012 S Amdt 3096 Accelerated Transition of US Military Operations to the Government of Afghanistan Amendment Adopted - Senate
(62 - 33)
Nay
Nov. 28, 2012 S Amdt 2985 Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel Amendment Adopted - Senate
(62 - 37)
Nay
Nov. 28, 2012 S Amdt 3095 Repeals the Prohibition on Biofuel Refinery Construction Amendment Adopted - Senate
(54 - 41)
Nay
Dec. 17, 2011 HR 2055 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(67 - 32)
Nay
Dec. 1, 2011 S Amdt 1125 Limits New Detention Rules to Prisoners Captured Outside the U.S. Amendment Rejected - Senate
(45 - 55)
Nay
Dec. 1, 2011 S Amdt 1274 Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime Amendment Rejected - Senate
(41 - 59)
Yea
Dec. 1, 2011 S Amdt 1126 Prohibits Detention of U.S. Citizens Without Trial Amendment Rejected - Senate
(45 - 55)
Nay
Nov. 29, 2011 S Amdt 1064 Repeals Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Amendment Rejected - Senate
(30 - 67)
Nay
Nov. 29, 2011 S Amdt 1107 Removes Provisions Requiring Military Custody of al-Qaeda Suspects Amendment Rejected - Senate
(38 - 60)
Nay
Sept. 22, 2011 S Amdt 634 Sale of F-16 Aircraft to Taiwan Amendment Rejected - Senate
(48 - 48)
Yea
Dec. 22, 2010 Treaty Doc. 111-5 Treaty with Russia to Reduce and Limit Offensive Arms Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate
(71 - 26)
Nay
Oct. 22, 2009 HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(68 - 29)
Nay
Oct. 20, 2009 HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(79 - 19)
Nay
Oct. 1, 2009 Amdt 2575 U.S. Military Commanders to Testify Before Congress Amendment Rejected - Senate
(40 - 59)
Yea
July 21, 2009 S Amdt 1469 Repealing Funding for F-22 Aircraft Procurement Amendment Adopted - Senate
(58 - 40)
Yea
Sept. 27, 2008 HR 2638 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
(78 - 12)
Nay
Sept. 17, 2008 S 3001 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate
(88 - 8)
Nay
June 26, 2008 HR 2642 Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
(92 - 6)
Nay
May 22, 2008 S Amdt 4817 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with Provisions Regarding Conduct and Congressional Oversight Amendment Rejected - Senate
(34 - 63)
Did Not Vote
May 22, 2008 S Amdt 4818 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan Amendment Adopted - Senate
(70 - 26)
Did Not Vote
March 14, 2008 S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate
(51 - 44)
Nay
Jan. 22, 2008 HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate
(91 - 3)
Yea
Dec. 18, 2007 HR 2764 Inclusion of Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
(70 - 25)
Yea
Dec. 18, 2007 S Amdt 3875 Iraq Withdrawal Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(24 - 71)
Nay
Nov. 16, 2007 S 2340 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(45 - 53)
Yea
Nov. 16, 2007 HR 4156 Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(53 - 45)
Nay
Oct. 1, 2007 HR 1585 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Bill Passed - Senate
(92 - 3)
Nay
Sept. 21, 2007 S Amdt 2898 Iraq Troop Reduction Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(47 - 47)
Nay
Sept. 19, 2007 S Amdt 2909 Time Between Troop Deployments Amendment Rejected - Senate
(56 - 44)
Nay
July 19, 2007 S Amdt 2351 Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees Amendment Adopted - Senate
(94 - 3)
Yea
July 18, 2007 S Amdt 2087 Iraq Troop Reduction Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(52 - 47)
Nay
May 24, 2007 HR 2206 Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
(80 - 14)
Nay
April 26, 2007 HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(51 - 46)
Nay
March 29, 2007 HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline Bill Passed - Senate
(51 - 47)
Nay
March 27, 2007 S Amdt 643 Iraq Withdrawal Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(48 - 50)
Yea
March 15, 2007 S J Res 9 United States Policy in Iraq Resolution of 2007 Joint Resolution Failed - Senate
(48 - 50)
Nay
Dec. 6, 2006 PN 2191 Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate
(95 - 2)
Yea
Sept. 28, 2006 S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - Senate
(65 - 34)
Yea
Sept. 13, 2006 S Amdt 4936 National Security Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate
(41 - 57)
Nay
Sept. 6, 2006 S AMDT 4882 Cluster Munitions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(30 - 70)
Nay
June 22, 2006 S 2766 Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill Bill Passed - Senate
(96 - 0)
Yea
June 22, 2006 S AMDT 4442 Troop Redeployment Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(13 - 86)
Nay
June 15, 2006 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(98 - 1)
Yea
May 26, 2006 PN 1552 Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate
(78 - 15)
Yea
May 4, 2006 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate
(77 - 21)
Nay

About the Selection and Descriptions of Key Votes

Project Vote Smart provides easy access to Congressional and State voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Key votes typically include the initial passage of legislation and final conference report vote versions (the compromised versions of bills passed in separate House and Senate versions). 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

Descriptions of the votes are written by Vote Smart staff and based on information included in the Congressional Record, State House Journals, or Senate Journals, with additional background information from newspapers, magazines, etc. Vote Smart provides summaries for each selected key vote. The summary does not necessarily reflect the final version of the bill.

The Key Votes Program follows Project Vote Smart's strict policies, procedures and structure that guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. In order to ensure that all Key Votes are non-partisan in their selection and language, each is approved by a group of over 160 political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

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