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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |