Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
Oct. 11, 2004 National HR 4520 JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17)
Sept. 23, 2004 National HR 1308 Child Tax Credit Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3)
Sept. 21, 2004 National HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
May 11, 2004 National S 1637 Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5)
April 29, 2004 National S 150 Internet Access Tax Bill Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 3)
March 12, 2004 National S Con Res 95 Budget Appropriations- FY 2005 Resolution Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
Feb. 12, 2004 National S 1072 Highway Trust Fund Bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
Jan. 22, 2004 National HR 2673 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28)
July 11, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
May 23, 2003 National HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
April 11, 2003 National H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
March 26, 2003 National S Con Res 23 Budget Resolution FY2004 Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44)
March 19, 2003 National S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
Feb. 13, 2003 National H J Res 2 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 20)
July 25, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
July 24, 2002 National HR 4775 Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
Dec. 18, 2001 National HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10)
Dec. 7, 2001 National HR 2944 District of Columbia FY2002 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 20)
Dec. 4, 2001 National HR 2299 Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (97 - 2)
Nov. 15, 2001 National HR 2500 Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriations, FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
Nov. 15, 2001 National HR 2330 Agriculture FY2002 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
Nov. 8, 2001 National HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7)
Nov. 6, 2001 National HR 3061 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act, 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 10)
Nov. 1, 2001 National HR 2311 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
Nov. 1, 2001 National HR 2590 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 15)
Oct. 17, 2001 National HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
Sept. 21, 2001 National S 1450 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
May 26, 2001 National HR 1836 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, 2001 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 33)
May 23, 2001 National HR 1836 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 38)
May 10, 2001 National H Con Res 83 Fiscal Year 2002 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 47)
Oct. 25, 2000 National HR 4811 Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 27)
July 21, 2000 National HR 4810 Marriage Tax Relief Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 34)
July 14, 2000 National HR 8 Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
July 13, 2000 National S Amdt 3821 Estate Tax Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
April 13, 2000 National H Con Res 290 Congressional Budget resolution FY 2001 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 48)
April 7, 2000 National H Con Res 290 Congressional Budget resolution FY 2001 Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
Feb. 3, 2000 National PN 729 Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman Nomination Confirmed - Senate (89 - 4)
Feb. 2, 2000 National HR 833 Bankruptcy Reform bill Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14)
Nov. 19, 1999 National HR 3194 District of Columbia FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 24)
Nov. 2, 1999 National HR 3064 DC/Labor/HHS/Education FY 2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (49 - 48)
Oct. 15, 1999 National HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
Oct. 13, 1999 National HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26)
Oct. 6, 1999 National HR 2606 Foreign Operations FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
Oct. 4, 1999 National HR 2084 Transportation Department FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 3)
Sept. 28, 1999 National HR 2605 Energy FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 3)
Sept. 23, 1999 National HR 2466 Interior Department FY2000 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 10)
Sept. 22, 1999 National S 1059 FY 2000 Defense Authorization Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
Sept. 16, 1999 National HR 2587 District of Columbia FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 39)
Sept. 16, 1999 National HR 2490 Appropriations bill FY2000, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 38)
Aug. 5, 1999 National HR 2488 Financial Freedom Act of 1999 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 49)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/11 HR 4520 JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17)
9/23 HR 1308 Child Tax Credit Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3)
9/21 HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
5/11 S 1637 Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5)
4/29 S 150 Internet Access Tax Bill Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 3)
3/12 S Con Res 95 Budget Appropriations- FY 2005 Resolution Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
2/12 S 1072 Highway Trust Fund Bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
1/22 HR 2673 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28)
7/11 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
5/23 HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
4/11 H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
3/26 S Con Res 23 Budget Resolution FY2004 Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44)
3/19 S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
2/13 H J Res 2 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 20)
7/25 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
7/24 HR 4775 Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
12/18 HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10)
12/07 HR 2944 District of Columbia FY2002 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 20)
12/04 HR 2299 Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (97 - 2)
11/15 HR 2500 Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriations, FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
11/15 HR 2330 Agriculture FY2002 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
11/08 HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7)
11/06 HR 3061 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act, 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 10)
11/01 HR 2311 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
11/01 HR 2590 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 15)
10/17 HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
9/21 S 1450 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
5/26 HR 1836 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, 2001 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 33)
5/23 HR 1836 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 38)
5/10 H Con Res 83 Fiscal Year 2002 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 47)
10/25 HR 4811 Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 27)
7/21 HR 4810 Marriage Tax Relief Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 34)
7/14 HR 8 Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
7/13 S Amdt 3821 Estate Tax Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
4/13 H Con Res 290 Congressional Budget resolution FY 2001 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 48)
4/07 H Con Res 290 Congressional Budget resolution FY 2001 Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
2/03 PN 729 Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman Nomination Confirmed - Senate (89 - 4)
2/02 HR 833 Bankruptcy Reform bill Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14)
11/19 HR 3194 District of Columbia FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 24)
11/02 HR 3064 DC/Labor/HHS/Education FY 2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (49 - 48)
10/15 HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
10/13 HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26)
10/06 HR 2606 Foreign Operations FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
10/04 HR 2084 Transportation Department FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 3)
9/28 HR 2605 Energy FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 3)
9/23 HR 2466 Interior Department FY2000 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 10)
9/22 S 1059 FY 2000 Defense Authorization Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
9/16 HR 2587 District of Columbia FY2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 39)
9/16 HR 2490 Appropriations bill FY2000, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 38)
8/05 HR 2488 Financial Freedom Act of 1999 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 49)

arrow_upward