Key Votes

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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
July 25, 2003 National HR 2861 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
July 9, 2003 National HR 438 Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Bill Passed - House (417 - 7)
July 9, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - House (394 - 26)
July 8, 2003 National HR 2658 Terrorism Information Awareness bill Bill Passed - House (399 - 19)
June 11, 2003 National HR 2350 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (406 - 6)
May 23, 2003 National HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200)
May 22, 2003 National HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Bill Passed - House (361 - 68)
April 2, 2003 National HR 743 Social Security Protection Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (396 - 28)
March 13, 2003 National HR 5 Malpractice Liability bill Bill Passed - House (229 - 196)
Feb. 13, 2003 National HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
Feb. 13, 2003 National HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
Oct. 10, 2002 National HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Conference Report Adopted - House (409 - 14)
July 26, 2002 National HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - House (295 - 132)
July 24, 2002 National H Res 495 Expulsion of Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., D-Ohio Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1)
July 18, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - House (365 - 49)
July 17, 2002 National HR 5093 Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - House (377 - 46)
June 28, 2002 National HR 4954 Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act Bill Passed - House (221 - 208)
June 27, 2002 National HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - House (426 - 1)
June 27, 2002 National HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - House (413 - 18)
May 16, 2002 National HR 4737 Temporary Aid to Needy Families Bill Passed - House (229 - 197)
May 16, 2002 National HR 4737 Temporary Aid to Needy Families Bill Passed - House (229 - 197)
May 10, 2002 National HR 4546 National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2003 Bill Passed - House (359 - 58)
May 2, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141)
Dec. 13, 2001 National S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (382 - 40)
Nov. 8, 2001 National HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (401 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/25 HR 2861 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
7/09 HR 438 Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Bill Passed - House (417 - 7)
7/09 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - House (394 - 26)
7/08 HR 2658 Terrorism Information Awareness bill Bill Passed - House (399 - 19)
6/11 HR 2350 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (406 - 6)
5/23 HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200)
5/22 HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Bill Passed - House (361 - 68)
4/02 HR 743 Social Security Protection Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (396 - 28)
3/13 HR 5 Malpractice Liability bill Bill Passed - House (229 - 196)
2/13 HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
2/13 HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
10/10 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Conference Report Adopted - House (409 - 14)
7/26 HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - House (295 - 132)
7/24 H Res 495 Expulsion of Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., D-Ohio Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1)
7/18 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - House (365 - 49)
7/17 HR 5093 Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - House (377 - 46)
6/28 HR 4954 Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act Bill Passed - House (221 - 208)
6/27 HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - House (426 - 1)
6/27 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - House (413 - 18)
5/16 HR 4737 Temporary Aid to Needy Families Bill Passed - House (229 - 197)
5/16 HR 4737 Temporary Aid to Needy Families Bill Passed - House (229 - 197)
5/10 HR 4546 National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2003 Bill Passed - House (359 - 58)
5/02 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141)
12/13 S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (382 - 40)
11/08 HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (401 - 18)

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