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National Journal
© National Journal Group Inc.
Friday, Feb. 11, 2005

Here are the 60 Senate votes on which National Journal's 2004 vote ratings are based. The Congressional Record roll-call number is followed by the bill number, a description of the vote, the date, the outcome, the prevailing side -- conservative (C) or liberal (L) -- and the weight given to each (from 1 for the lowest weight to 3 for the highest) based on how closely the vote fits the overall pattern.

Click on the links below to view the complete roll call results for the vote in question on the Senate Web site.

Economic Issues (24 votes)

3/HR2673: Approve the fiscal 2004 omnibus appropriations bill conference report. January 22. (65-28) C-1

4/HR3108: Limit the liability of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. on obligations to certain companies that terminate pension benefits. January 27. (67-25) L-1

32/S1637: Prohibit federal government contracts from being performed offshore. March 4. (70-26) L-2

34/SConRes95: Add $2.7 billion to the fiscal 2005 budget resolution for veterans' health care. March 9. (44-53) C-3

36/SConRes95: Strike proposed $80.6 billion in tax cuts during the next five years from the fiscal 2005 budget resolution. March 10. (47-52) C-3

38/SConRes95: Require "pay-as-you-go" rules for new tax cuts and entitlement spending. March 10. (51-48) L-3

44/SConRes95: Add $1.1 billion to the fiscal 2005 budget resolution for law enforcement programs. March 11. (41-55) C-3

46/SConRes95: Add $30.5 billion to the fiscal 2005 budget resolution in the next five years for health care programs, including anti-smoking efforts. March 11. (32-64) C-2

54/SConRes95: Add $1.7 billion to the fiscal 2005 budget resolution for homeland-security programs. March 11. (52-43) L-2

56/SConRes95: Add $2 billion to the fiscal 2005 budget resolution for the National Institutes of Health. March 11. (72-24) L-2

58/SConRes95: Approve the fiscal 2005 budget resolution. March 12. (51-45) C-3

64/HR4: Increase child care funding as part of welfare reform. March 30. (78-20) L-1

66/S2207: Limit debate on a proposal to restrict court awards in medical-malpractice lawsuits. April 7. (49-48; 60 votes required to invoke cloture) L-3

73/S150: Limit debate on a proposal to require increased use of renewable fuels. April 29. (40-59; 60 votes required to invoke cloture) C-3

79/S1637: Bar funds to implement new federal regulations for overtime pay. May 4. (52-47) L-3

80/S1637: Procedural motion to allow a vote to extend eligibility for trade-adjustment assistance to recently unemployed service workers. May 4. (54-45; 60 votes required to waive the Budget Act) C-3

83/S1637: Table a proposal to limit a tax break for U.S. companies that reimport goods they manufacture offshore. May 5. (60-39) C-3

88/S1637: Procedural motion to allow a vote on providing an additional 13 weeks of unemployment compensation. May 11. (59-40; 60 votes required to waive the Budget Act) C-3

93/S1248: Procedural motion to allow a vote on increasing education funding for disabled students. May 12. (56-41; 60 votes required to waive the Budget Act) C-3

107/S2400: Require the Energy Department to maintain its nuclear-waste cleanup program in South Carolina, rather than shipping the material to a planned site in Nevada. June 3. (48-48) C-3

130/S2400: Increase the top tax rate on the wealthy to pay for military operations in Iraq. June 17. (44-53) C-3

154/S2062: Limit debate on a proposal to shift certain class-action lawsuits to federal courts. July 8. (44-43; 60 votes required to invoke cloture) L-3

211/HR4520: Approve conference report on legislation providing new corporate tax breaks and reforming overseas tax policy. October 11. (69-17) C-1

215/HR4818: Approve fiscal 2005 omnibus appropriations bill conference report. November 20. (65-30) C-1

Social Issues (19 votes)

9/S1072: Table a proposal to require increased use of seat belts as a condition for states to receive highway funds. February 11. (57-41) C-1

17/S1805: Prohibit the sale or transfer of handguns without a safety device. February 26. (70-27) L-2

22/S1805: Permit law enforcement officers to recover damages in lawsuits against individuals who participate in arming criminals. February 26. (38-56) C-3

23/S1805: Clarify the standard on criminal liability for firearms manufacturers and sellers. March 1. (28-59) C-2

24/S1805: Extend for 10 years the ban on the sale and possession of assault weapons. March 2. (52-47) L-3

25/S1805: Require criminal-background checks on all firearms transactions at larger gun shows. March 2. (53-46) L-3

28/S1805: Expand restrictions on the use of armor-piercing ammunition. March 2. (34-63) C-3

29/S1805: Exempt gross negligence as a basis for civil lawsuits in certain firearms cases. March 2. (56-41) C-3

61/HR1997: Make it a criminal offense to interrupt a pregnancy while committing a separate federal violent crime. March 25. (49-50) C-3

63/HR1997: Make it a criminal offense to injure or kill a fetus while committing a separate federal violent crime. March 25. (61-38) C-2

114/S2400: Expand hate-crimes protections to include offenses motivated by gender, sexual orientation, or disability. June 15. (65-33) L-2

152/-: Confirm Diane Sykes to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. June 24. (70-27) C-2

153/- : Confirm Leon Holmes to be a judge on the U.S. District Court in Arkansas. July 6. (51-46) C-3

155/SJRes40: Limit debate on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. July 14. (48-50; 60 votes required to invoke cloture) L-3

158/-: Confirm William Myers to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. July 20. (53-44) C-3

160/-: Limit debate on the nomination of Henry Saad to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. July 22. (52-46; 60 votes required to invoke cloture) L-3

161/-: Limit debate on the nomination of Richard Griffin to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. July 22. (54-44; 60 votes required to invoke cloture) L-3

162/-: Limit debate on the nomination of David McKeague to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. July 22. (53-44; 60 votes required to invoke cloture) L-3

168/HR4567: Prohibit the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services from contracting out its services. September 8. (49-47) L-3

Foreign Policy Issues (17 votes)

101/S2400: Restrict the transactions of U.S. companies' foreign subsidiaries with nations that sponsor terrorism, notably Iran. May 19. (49-50) C-3

113/S2400: Prohibit use of $37 million for the Energy Department's nuclear penetrator "bunker-buster" program. June 15. (42-55) C-3

118/S2400: Table a proposal to prohibit private contractors from interrogating prisoners at U.S. military facilities. June 16. (54-43) C-3

120/S2400: Impose criminal penalties on military contractors that engage in profiteering. June 16. (46-52) C-3

124/S2400: Restrict deployment of a national missile defense system. June 17. (42-57) C-3

125/S2400: Set criteria and a timetable for testing of a national missile defense system. June 17. (55-44) C-3

132/S2400: Require the Defense secretary to establish procedures to permit media coverage of the return of coffins of U.S. service members who died overseas. June 21. (39-54) C-3

137/S2400: Require the president to report to Congress on U.S. strategy in Iraq. June 23. (71-27) C-2

138/S2400: Require the president to submit a more-detailed report to Congress on U.S. strategy in Iraq. June 23. (48-50) C-3

139/S2400: Require operational testing and evaluation of midcourse interceptors for a national missile defense system. June 23. (45-53) C-3

140/S2400: Limit the number of U.S. troops and contractors serving in Colombia. June 23. (40-58) C-3

143/S2400: Table a proposal to require the Pentagon to report on detainees held at U.S. military prisons. June 23. (45-50) L-3

148/HR4613: Table a proposal to increase disaster aid to Sudan and Chad by $118 million. June 24. (53-45) C-3

156/HR4759: Approve the U.S.-Australia free-trade agreement. July 15. (80-16) C-1

187/-: Confirm Porter Goss as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. September 22. (77-17) C-1

196/S2845: Table a proposal to strike requirements for public disclosure of total U.S. intelligence funding. October 4. (55-37) L-2

212/-: Confirm Francis Harvey as secretary of the Army. November 16. (85-12) C-1