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
July 31, 2003 National HR 6 Energy Omnibus bill Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14)
June 27, 2003 National S 1 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
June 10, 2003 National S Amdt 865 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 32)
May 22, 2003 National S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
March 19, 2003 National S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
Oct. 16, 2002 National HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1)
Oct. 11, 2002 National H J Res 114 Use of Military Force Against Iraq Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (77 - 23)
Aug. 1, 2002 National HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
July 31, 2002 National S 812 Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21)
July 24, 2002 National HR 4775 Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
July 18, 2002 National HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
July 15, 2002 National S 2673 Accounting Industry Reform bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
May 8, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
April 25, 2002 National HR 4 Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 11)
Feb. 13, 2002 National HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
Dec. 13, 2001 National S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
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)
Nov. 1, 2001 National HR 2311 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
Sept. 21, 2001 National S 1450 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
Sept. 14, 2001 National S J Res 23 Military Force Authorization Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (98 - 0)
June 29, 2001 National S 1052 Patients' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36)
July 14, 2000 National HR 8 Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
July 13, 2000 National S Amdt 3821 Estate Tax Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/31 HR 6 Energy Omnibus bill Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14)
6/27 S 1 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
6/10 S Amdt 865 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 32)
5/22 S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
3/19 S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
10/16 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1)
10/11 H J Res 114 Use of Military Force Against Iraq Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (77 - 23)
8/01 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
7/31 S 812 Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21)
7/24 HR 4775 Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
7/18 HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
7/15 S 2673 Accounting Industry Reform bill Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0)
5/08 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35)
4/25 HR 4 Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 11)
2/13 HR 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40)
12/13 S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
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)
11/01 HR 2311 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
9/21 S 1450 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
9/14 S J Res 23 Military Force Authorization Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (98 - 0)
6/29 S 1052 Patients' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36)
7/14 HR 8 Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
7/13 S Amdt 3821 Estate Tax Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)

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