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
Sept. 21, 2004 National HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
May 11, 2004 National S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
March 12, 2004 National S Con Res 95 Budget Appropriations- FY 2005 Resolution Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
Feb. 12, 2004 National S 1072 Highway Trust Fund Bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
Jan. 22, 2004 National HR 2673 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28)
July 11, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
July 25, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
July 24, 2002 National HR 4775 Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
May 8, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
Feb. 13, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
Dec. 18, 2001 National HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10)
Nov. 15, 2001 National HR 2500 Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriations, FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
Nov. 6, 2001 National HR 3061 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act, 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 10)
Nov. 1, 2001 National HR 2311 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
Nov. 1, 2001 National HR 2590 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 15)
Oct. 17, 2001 National HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
Sept. 21, 2001 National S 1450 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
Oct. 25, 2000 National HR 4811 Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 27)
Oct. 25, 2000 National HR 4811 Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 27)
June 29, 2000 National S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
June 29, 2000 National S Amdt 3690 Off-budget Lockbox Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 37)
June 22, 2000 National S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
April 13, 2000 National H Con Res 290 Congressional Budget resolution FY 2001 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 48)
April 7, 2000 National H Con Res 290 Congressional Budget resolution FY 2001 Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
Nov. 2, 1999 National HR 3064 DC/Labor/HHS/Education FY 2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (49 - 48)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/21 HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
5/11 S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
3/12 S Con Res 95 Budget Appropriations- FY 2005 Resolution Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
2/12 S 1072 Highway Trust Fund Bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
1/22 HR 2673 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28)
7/11 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
7/25 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
7/24 HR 4775 Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
5/08 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
2/13 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
12/18 HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10)
11/15 HR 2500 Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriations, FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
11/06 HR 3061 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act, 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 10)
11/01 HR 2311 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
11/01 HR 2590 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 15)
10/17 HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
9/21 S 1450 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
10/25 HR 4811 Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 27)
10/25 HR 4811 Foreign Operations FY 2001 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 27)
6/29 S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
6/29 S Amdt 3690 Off-budget Lockbox Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 37)
6/22 S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
4/13 H Con Res 290 Congressional Budget resolution FY 2001 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 48)
4/07 H Con Res 290 Congressional Budget resolution FY 2001 Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
11/02 HR 3064 DC/Labor/HHS/Education FY 2000 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (49 - 48)

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