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
Jan. 22, 2004 National HR 2673 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28)
Nov. 25, 2003 National HR 1 Medicare Prescription Drug bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
Oct. 28, 2003 National PN 884 Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (88 - 8)
June 27, 2003 National S 1 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
March 19, 2003 National S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
July 31, 2002 National S 812 Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21)
May 8, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
May 8, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
April 25, 2002 National HR 4 Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 11)
Feb. 13, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
Feb. 13, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
Oct. 17, 2001 National HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
June 29, 2001 National S 1052 Patients' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36)
June 29, 2001 National S 1052 Patients' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36)
June 29, 2000 National S Amdt 3694 Health Care Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47)
June 22, 2000 National S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
July 15, 1999 National S Amdt 1250 Patient Lawsuit Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 47)
July 15, 1999 National S 1344 Patient Bill of Rights bill Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 47)
July 14, 1999 National S Amdt 1241 Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45)
July 14, 1999 National S Amdt 1241 Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45)
June 22, 1999 National S Amdt 702 Patients' Bill of Rights Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47)
June 9, 1998 National S Amdt 2451 Illegal Drug Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
June 4, 1998 National S Amdt 2438 Underage Tobacco Usage amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (29 - 66)
April 1, 1998 National S Amdt 2169 Medicare Choices Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47)
March 31, 1998 National S Amdt 2168 Tobacco Immunity Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/22 HR 2673 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28)
11/25 HR 1 Medicare Prescription Drug bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
10/28 PN 884 Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (88 - 8)
6/27 S 1 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
3/19 S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
7/31 S 812 Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21)
5/08 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
5/08 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
4/25 HR 4 Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 11)
2/13 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
2/13 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
10/17 HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
6/29 S 1052 Patients' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36)
6/29 S 1052 Patients' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36)
6/29 S Amdt 3694 Health Care Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47)
6/22 S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
7/15 S Amdt 1250 Patient Lawsuit Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 47)
7/15 S 1344 Patient Bill of Rights bill Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 47)
7/14 S Amdt 1241 Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45)
7/14 S Amdt 1241 Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45)
6/22 S Amdt 702 Patients' Bill of Rights Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47)
6/09 S Amdt 2451 Illegal Drug Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
6/04 S Amdt 2438 Underage Tobacco Usage amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (29 - 66)
4/01 S Amdt 2169 Medicare Choices Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47)
3/31 S Amdt 2168 Tobacco Immunity Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)

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