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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0) |
| May 5, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 58) |
| April 28, 2005 | National | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| April 28, 2005 | National | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 211) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| April 18, 2005 | National | S Amdt 464 | Future Military Funding for Iraq Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 31) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Con Res 18 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (218 - 214) |
| March 16, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| July 22, 2004 | National | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 12) |
| July 22, 2004 | National | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0) |
| June 23, 2004 | National | S 2400 | Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| June 22, 2004 | National | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (403 - 17) |
| May 20, 2004 | National | HR 4200 | Defense Department FY2005 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (391 - 34) |
| March 17, 2004 | National | H Res 557 | War in Iraq Anniversary Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (327 - 93) |
| Nov. 12, 2003 | National | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3) |
| Nov. 7, 2003 | National | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (362 - 40) |
| Nov. 5, 2003 | National | HR 2559 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (417 - 5) |
| Oct. 31, 2003 | National | HR 3289 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| Oct. 17, 2003 | National | S 1689 | Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| May 22, 2003 | National | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (361 - 68) |
| May 22, 2003 | National | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| April 3, 2003 | National | HR 1559 | Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003 | Bill Passed - House (414 - 12) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1) |
| Oct. 11, 2002 | National | H J Res 114 | Use of Military Force Against Iraq | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (77 - 23) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/10 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (100 - 0) |
| 5/05 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 58) |
| 4/28 | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 4/28 | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 211) |
| 4/21 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| 4/18 | S Amdt 464 | Future Military Funding for Iraq Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 31) |
| 3/17 | S Con Res 18 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 3/17 | H Con Res 95 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (218 - 214) |
| 3/16 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| 7/22 | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 12) |
| 7/22 | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0) |
| 6/23 | S 2400 | Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| 6/22 | HR 4613 | Defense Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (403 - 17) |
| 5/20 | HR 4200 | Defense Department FY2005 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (391 - 34) |
| 3/17 | H Res 557 | War in Iraq Anniversary Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (327 - 93) |
| 11/12 | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3) |
| 11/07 | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (362 - 40) |
| 11/05 | HR 2559 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (417 - 5) |
| 10/31 | HR 3289 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| 10/17 | S 1689 | Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| 5/22 | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (361 - 68) |
| 5/22 | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 4/03 | HR 1559 | Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003 | Bill Passed - House (414 - 12) |
| 10/16 | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1) |
| 10/11 | H J Res 114 | Use of Military Force Against Iraq | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (77 - 23) |