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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| May 17, 2005 | National | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11) |
| April 11, 2003 | National | H Con Res 95 | Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| March 26, 2003 | National | S Con Res 23 | Budget Resolution FY2004 | Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
| March 19, 2003 | National | S Amdt 272 | ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| Feb. 13, 2003 | National | H J Res 2 | Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 20) |
| Dec. 7, 2001 | National | HR 2944 | District of Columbia FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 20) |
| Dec. 4, 2001 | National | HR 2299 | Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (97 - 2) |
| Nov. 15, 2001 | National | HR 2330 | Agriculture FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7) |
| Nov. 8, 2001 | National | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7) |
| May 10, 2001 | National | H Con Res 83 | Fiscal Year 2002 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 47) |
| Nov. 19, 1999 | National | HR 3194 | District of Columbia FY2000 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 24) |
| Sept. 16, 1999 | National | HR 2587 | District of Columbia FY2000 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 39) |
| Aug. 5, 1999 | National | HR 2488 | Financial Freedom Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 49) |
| June 30, 1999 | National | S 1234 | Foreign Operations FY2000 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| June 16, 1999 | National | S 1205 | Military Construction FY2000 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| May 6, 1999 | National | S 900 | Financial Services Modernization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| Oct. 1, 1997 | National | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Sept. 11, 1997 | National | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| July 31, 1997 | National | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| June 5, 1997 | National | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| May 23, 1997 | National | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22) |
| Sept. 10, 1993 | National | S Amdt 816 | Postponement of Base Closures Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 79) |
| Sept. 9, 1993 | National | S Amdt 785 | Ballistic Missile Defense Funding Reducation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
| May 21, 1992 | National | S Amdt 1852 | Eliminating Emergency Funding for Emergency Summer Youth Employment Programs | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 62) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/29 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 5/17 | HR 3 | Transportation Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 11) |
| 4/11 | H Con Res 95 | Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 3/26 | S Con Res 23 | Budget Resolution FY2004 | Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
| 3/19 | S Amdt 272 | ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| 2/13 | H J Res 2 | Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 20) |
| 12/07 | HR 2944 | District of Columbia FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 20) |
| 12/04 | HR 2299 | Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (97 - 2) |
| 11/15 | HR 2330 | Agriculture FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7) |
| 11/08 | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7) |
| 5/10 | H Con Res 83 | Fiscal Year 2002 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 11/19 | HR 3194 | District of Columbia FY2000 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 9/16 | HR 2587 | District of Columbia FY2000 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 39) |
| 8/05 | HR 2488 | Financial Freedom Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 6/30 | S 1234 | Foreign Operations FY2000 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| 6/16 | S 1205 | Military Construction FY2000 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| 5/06 | S 900 | Financial Services Modernization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 10/01 | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 9/11 | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 7/31 | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| 6/05 | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 5/23 | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22) |
| 9/10 | S Amdt 816 | Postponement of Base Closures Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 79) |
| 9/09 | S Amdt 785 | Ballistic Missile Defense Funding Reducation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 5/21 | S Amdt 1852 | Eliminating Emergency Funding for Emergency Summer Youth Employment Programs | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 62) |