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 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) |