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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 8, 2005 | National | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| May 25, 2005 | National | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43) |
| May 24, 2005 | National | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 18) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| March 21, 2005 | National | S 686 | Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 58) |
| March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Feb. 17, 2005 | National | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 149) |
| Feb. 10, 2005 | National | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26) |
| Feb. 3, 2005 | National | PN 12 | Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36) |
| Sept. 23, 2004 | National | HR 2028 | Pledge of Allegiance Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 173) |
| Sept. 14, 2004 | National | HR 4571 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (229 - 174) |
| May 12, 2004 | National | HR 4280 | Medical Malpractice Liability Limitation Bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| April 22, 2004 | National | S 2329 | Victims' Rights Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| March 10, 2004 | National | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
| March 2, 2004 | National | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| April 9, 2003 | National | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| March 13, 2003 | National | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 196) |
| Dec. 7, 2001 | National | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| Feb. 16, 2000 | National | HR 2366 | Small Business Liability Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (221 - 193) |
| Oct. 5, 1999 | National | PN 49 | Ronnie L. White, United States District Judge in Missouri | Nomination Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| July 15, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1250 | Patient Lawsuit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 47) |
| June 17, 1999 | National | HR 1501 | Juvenile Justice bill | Bill Passed - House (287 - 139) |
| Oct. 13, 1998 | National | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82) |
| Sept. 18, 1998 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Failed - Senate (64 - 36) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/08 | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 5/25 | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43) |
| 5/24 | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Cloture Invoked - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 4/21 | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| 3/21 | S 686 | Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 58) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 2/17 | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 149) |
| 2/10 | S 5 | Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26) |
| 2/03 | PN 12 | Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36) |
| 9/23 | HR 2028 | Pledge of Allegiance Protection Bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 173) |
| 9/14 | HR 4571 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (229 - 174) |
| 5/12 | HR 4280 | Medical Malpractice Liability Limitation Bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| 4/22 | S 2329 | Victims' Rights Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 3/10 | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
| 3/02 | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| 4/09 | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 3/13 | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 196) |
| 12/07 | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 2/16 | HR 2366 | Small Business Liability Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (221 - 193) |
| 10/05 | PN 49 | Ronnie L. White, United States District Judge in Missouri | Nomination Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| 7/15 | S Amdt 1250 | Patient Lawsuit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 6/17 | HR 1501 | Juvenile Justice bill | Bill Passed - House (287 - 139) |
| 10/13 | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82) |
| 9/18 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Failed - Senate (64 - 36) |
| 7/23 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132) |