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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 11, 2004 | National | HR 3717 | FCC Indecency Penalties Bill | Bill Passed - House (391 - 22) |
| March 2, 2004 | National | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| Feb. 26, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 163) |
| Feb. 26, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 163) |
| Nov. 6, 2003 | National | HR 1829 | Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (350 - 65) |
| June 10, 2003 | National | HR 2143 | Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act | Bill Passed - House (319 - 104) |
| June 4, 2003 | National | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
| May 1, 2003 | National | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| April 10, 2003 | National | S 151 | Enhance AMBER Alert bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 25) |
| April 9, 2003 | National | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| March 19, 2003 | National | S Amdt 272 | ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| Feb. 13, 2003 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 192) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| Oct. 10, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| July 17, 2002 | National | HR 5093 | Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| July 10, 2002 | National | HR 4635 | Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (310 - 113) |
| June 11, 2002 | National | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| June 11, 2002 | National | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| May 16, 2002 | National | HR 4737 | Temporary Aid to Needy Families | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| April 11, 2002 | National | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| Feb. 27, 2002 | National | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| 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) |
| July 31, 2001 | National | H Amdt 285 | Human Cloning Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (178 - 249) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/11 | HR 3717 | FCC Indecency Penalties Bill | Bill Passed - House (391 - 22) |
| 3/02 | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| 2/26 | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 163) |
| 2/26 | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 163) |
| 11/06 | HR 1829 | Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (350 - 65) |
| 6/10 | HR 2143 | Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act | Bill Passed - House (319 - 104) |
| 6/04 | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
| 5/01 | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| 4/10 | S 151 | Enhance AMBER Alert bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 25) |
| 4/09 | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 3/19 | S Amdt 272 | ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| 2/13 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 192) |
| 10/16 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 10/10 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| 7/17 | HR 5093 | Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| 7/10 | HR 4635 | Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (310 - 113) |
| 6/11 | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 6/11 | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 5/16 | HR 4737 | Temporary Aid to Needy Families | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| 4/11 | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 2/27 | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| 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) |
| 7/31 | H Amdt 285 | Human Cloning Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (178 - 249) |