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
March 24, 2004 National HR 3873 Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act Bill Passed - House (419 - 5)
July 9, 2003 National HR 438 Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Bill Passed - House (417 - 7)
June 11, 2003 National HR 2350 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (406 - 6)
Feb. 13, 2003 National HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
May 16, 2002 National HR 4737 Temporary Aid to Needy Families Bill Passed - House (229 - 197)
May 8, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
May 2, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141)
Feb. 13, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
Oct. 5, 2001 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - House (291 - 120)
Oct. 21, 1999 National HR 2 Education Funding for Disadvantaged Students-Passage Bill Passed - House (358 - 67)
Oct. 13, 1999 National HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26)
Oct. 1, 1999 National HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (240 - 175)
June 8, 1999 National HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (246 - 183)
March 11, 1999 National H Amdt 22 High Needs District Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 223)
Aug. 6, 1998 National H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208)
May 5, 1998 National HR 1385 Training Programs bill Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 7)
April 30, 1998 National S 1502 Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill Bill Passed - House (214 - 206)
Nov. 4, 1997 National HR 2746 HELP Scholarships bill Bill Failed - House (191 - 228)
June 25, 1997 National S 947 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27)
May 16, 1997 National HR 1385 Training Programs bill Bill Passed - House (343 - 60)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
July 31, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101)
July 23, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/24 HR 3873 Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act Bill Passed - House (419 - 5)
7/09 HR 438 Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Bill Passed - House (417 - 7)
6/11 HR 2350 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (406 - 6)
2/13 HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
5/16 HR 4737 Temporary Aid to Needy Families Bill Passed - House (229 - 197)
5/08 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
5/02 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141)
2/13 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
10/05 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - House (291 - 120)
10/21 HR 2 Education Funding for Disadvantaged Students-Passage Bill Passed - House (358 - 67)
10/13 HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26)
10/01 HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (240 - 175)
6/08 HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (246 - 183)
3/11 H Amdt 22 High Needs District Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 223)
8/06 H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208)
5/05 HR 1385 Training Programs bill Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 7)
4/30 S 1502 Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill Bill Passed - House (214 - 206)
11/04 HR 2746 HELP Scholarships bill Bill Failed - House (191 - 228)
6/25 S 947 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27)
5/16 HR 1385 Training Programs bill Bill Passed - House (343 - 60)
8/02 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
8/02 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72)
8/01 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
7/31 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101)
7/23 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)

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