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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 7, 2001 | National | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| Dec. 7, 2001 | National | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| Dec. 6, 2001 | National | HR 3005 | Fast Track Trade Authority bill | Bill Passed - House (215 - 214) |
| Nov. 16, 2001 | National | S 1447 | Federalize Aviation Security bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 9) |
| Oct. 25, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| Oct. 24, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (357 - 66) |
| Oct. 12, 2001 | National | HR 2975 | Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (337 - 79) |
| Sept. 14, 2001 | National | S J Res 23 | Military Force Authorization | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (98 - 0) |
| Sept. 14, 2001 | National | H J Res 64 | Authorization for Use of Military Force | Joint Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1) |
| July 26, 2001 | National | HR 1954 | Iran and Libya Sanctions | Bill Passed - House (409 - 6) |
| July 25, 2001 | National | H Amdt 241 | Substitute Amendment to Treasury Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2002 | Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 186) |
| July 19, 2001 | National | H J Res 50 | China Trade Relations bill | Joint Resolution Failed - House (169 - 259) |
| July 19, 2001 | National | H J Res 50 | China Trade Relations bill | Joint Resolution Failed - House (169 - 259) |
| Oct. 25, 2000 | National | HR 4811 | Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 27) |
| Oct. 25, 2000 | National | HR 4811 | Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (307 - 101) |
| Oct. 3, 2000 | National | S 2045 | American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| Sept. 19, 2000 | National | HR 4444 | U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 15) |
| Sept. 13, 2000 | National | S Amdt 4132 | China Nonproliferation Act | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 32) |
| July 20, 2000 | National | H Amdt 1023 | Cuban Economic Embargo Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (174 - 241) |
| July 20, 2000 | National | H Amdt 1029 | Cuban Travel Embargo Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 186) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | H Amdt 982 | Debt Relief Funding amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | H Amdt 983 | HIV/AIDS Funding amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (267 - 156) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | H Amdt 997 | Family Planning Assistance Funding amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 221) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | HR 4811 | Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (239 - 185) |
| June 21, 2000 | National | H J Res 90 | WTO Withdrawal resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (56 - 363) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/07 | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 12/07 | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 12/06 | HR 3005 | Fast Track Trade Authority bill | Bill Passed - House (215 - 214) |
| 11/16 | S 1447 | Federalize Aviation Security bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 9) |
| 10/25 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 10/24 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (357 - 66) |
| 10/12 | HR 2975 | Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (337 - 79) |
| 9/14 | S J Res 23 | Military Force Authorization | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (98 - 0) |
| 9/14 | H J Res 64 | Authorization for Use of Military Force | Joint Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1) |
| 7/26 | HR 1954 | Iran and Libya Sanctions | Bill Passed - House (409 - 6) |
| 7/25 | H Amdt 241 | Substitute Amendment to Treasury Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2002 | Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 186) |
| 7/19 | H J Res 50 | China Trade Relations bill | Joint Resolution Failed - House (169 - 259) |
| 7/19 | H J Res 50 | China Trade Relations bill | Joint Resolution Failed - House (169 - 259) |
| 10/25 | HR 4811 | Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 27) |
| 10/25 | HR 4811 | Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (307 - 101) |
| 10/03 | S 2045 | American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 9/19 | HR 4444 | U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 15) |
| 9/13 | S Amdt 4132 | China Nonproliferation Act | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 32) |
| 7/20 | H Amdt 1023 | Cuban Economic Embargo Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (174 - 241) |
| 7/20 | H Amdt 1029 | Cuban Travel Embargo Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 186) |
| 7/13 | H Amdt 982 | Debt Relief Funding amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
| 7/13 | H Amdt 983 | HIV/AIDS Funding amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (267 - 156) |
| 7/13 | H Amdt 997 | Family Planning Assistance Funding amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 221) |
| 7/13 | HR 4811 | Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (239 - 185) |
| 6/21 | H J Res 90 | WTO Withdrawal resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (56 - 363) |