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National Key Votes

Date Bill No. Bill Title Outcome Vote
Dec. 6, 2006 PN 2191 Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate
(95 - 2)
Nay
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 AMDT 4442 Troop Redeployment Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(13 - 86)
Nay
June 22, 2006 S 2766 Defense Department FY 2007 Authorization bill Bill Passed - Senate
(96 - 0)
Yea
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)
Yea
March 16, 2006 S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate
(51 - 49)
Yea
Nov. 15, 2005 S 1042 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate
(98 - 0)
Yea
Nov. 15, 2005 S AMDT 2523 Judicial Review of Detainees Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(44 - 54)
Nay
Nov. 15, 2005 S AMDT 2524 Guantanamo Bay Detainees Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate
(84 - 14)
Yea
Nov. 10, 2005 S Amdt 2516 Detainees at Guantanamo Bay Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate
(49 - 42)
Did Not Vote
Nov. 8, 2005 S AMDT 2430 National Commission on Detainees Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(43 - 55)
Nay
July 26, 2005 S 1042 Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(50 - 48)
Yea
June 23, 2004 S 2400 Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill Bill Passed - Senate
(97 - 0)
Yea
Nov. 12, 2003 HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(95 - 3)
Yea
Oct. 17, 2003 S 1689 Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Bill Passed - Senate
(87 - 12)
Yea
May 22, 2003 S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate
(98 - 1)
Yea
Oct. 16, 2002 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(93 - 1)
Yea
Oct. 11, 2002 H J Res 114 Use of Military Force Against Iraq Joint Resolution Passed - Senate
(77 - 23)
Yea
Aug. 1, 2002 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate
(95 - 3)
Yea
July 24, 2002 HR 4775 Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(92 - 7)
Nay
July 18, 2002 HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate
(96 - 3)
Yea
Dec. 13, 2001 S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(96 - 2)
Yea
Sept. 14, 2001 S J Res 23 Military Force Authorization Joint Resolution Passed - Senate
(98 - 0)
Yea
Oct. 13, 1999 Treaty Doc. 105-28 Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate
(48 - 51)
Nay
Sept. 22, 1999 S 1059 FY 2000 Defense Authorization Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(93 - 5)
Yea
May 27, 1999 S 1059 FY 2000 Defense Authorization Bill Passed - Senate
(92 - 3)
Yea
May 26, 1999 S Amdt 393 FY 2000 Defense Auth.--Base Closures Amendment Rejected - Senate
(40 - 60)
Yea
Oct. 1, 1998 HR 3616 Defense Department FY99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(96 - 2)
Yea
Sept. 9, 1998 S 1873 American Missile Protection bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate
(59 - 41)
Yea
June 25, 1998 S Amdt 2981 Military Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate
(48 - 45)
Nay
June 25, 1998 S Amdt 3011 Separate Housing Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate
(39 - 53)
Yea
Nov. 6, 1997 HR 1119 Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(90 - 10)
Yea
Sept. 25, 1997 HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(93 - 5)
Yea
July 9, 1997 S Amdt 771 Base Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate
(66 - 33)
Yea
April 17, 1997 S 495 Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act Bill Passed - Senate
(53 - 44)
Yea
Sept. 10, 1996 HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(73 - 26)
Yea
Jan. 26, 1996 S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(56 - 34)
Yea
Jan. 26, 1996 Treaty Doc. 103-1 The START II Treaty Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate
(87 - 4)
Yea
Dec. 19, 1995 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(51 - 43)
Yea
Sept. 22, 1995 HR 1817 Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(86 - 14)
Yea
Sept. 6, 1995 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Bill Passed - Senate
(64 - 34)
Yea
Aug. 10, 1995 S Amdt 2401 Space-Based Laser Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate
(57 - 41)
Yea
July 21, 1995 HR 1817 Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate
(84 - 10)
Yea
Sept. 29, 1994 HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House
(327 - 86)
Yea
Aug. 17, 1994 S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House
(280 - 137)
Yea
June 29, 1994 HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House
(330 - 91)
Yea

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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