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 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 244 | Unintended Pregnancy Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 244 | Unintended Pregnancy Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| March 10, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Sept. 23, 2004 | National | HR 1308 | Child Tax Credit Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3) |
| July 14, 2004 | National | S J Res 40 | Federal Marriage Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50) |
| April 22, 2004 | National | S 2329 | Victims' Rights Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| March 25, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| March 25, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| March 2, 2004 | National | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| March 19, 2003 | National | S Amdt 272 | ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 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) |
| 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. 3, 2000 | National | S 2045 | American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| April 6, 2000 | National | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
| March 2, 2000 | National | S 1134 | Education Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 2, 2000 | National | S Amdt 2763 | Violent Protesters Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (80 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/17 | S Amdt 244 | Unintended Pregnancy Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 3/17 | S Amdt 244 | Unintended Pregnancy Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 3/10 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 9/23 | HR 1308 | Child Tax Credit Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3) |
| 7/14 | S J Res 40 | Federal Marriage Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50) |
| 4/22 | S 2329 | Victims' Rights Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 3/25 | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 3/25 | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 3/02 | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| 3/19 | S Amdt 272 | ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| 10/16 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 10/03 | S 2045 | American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 4/06 | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 3/02 | S 1134 | Education Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2763 | Violent Protesters Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (80 - 17) |