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
May 12, 2004 National HR 4279 Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2004 Bill Passed - House (273 - 152)
May 11, 2004 National S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
May 11, 2004 National S 1637 Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5)
May 6, 2004 National H Res 627 Resolution Condemning Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners Resolution Passed - House (365 - 50)
May 5, 2004 National HR 4227 Middle-Class Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2004 Bill Passed - House (333 - 89)
April 29, 2004 National S 150 Internet Access Tax Bill Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 3)
April 28, 2004 National HR 4219 Highway Trust Fund Programs Extension Bill Bill Passed - House (410 - 0)
April 28, 2004 National HR 4181 Marriage Penalty Tax Bill Bill Passed - House (323 - 95)
April 22, 2004 National HR 2844 Continuity in Representation Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (306 - 97)
April 22, 2004 National S 2329 Victims' Rights Bill Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
April 8, 2004 National HR 3108 Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 19)
April 2, 2004 National HR 3108 Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 Conference Report Adopted - House (336 - 69)
April 2, 2004 National HR 3550 Highway Trust Fund Bill Bill Passed - House (357 - 65)
March 25, 2004 National HR 1997 Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38)
March 25, 2004 National H Con Res 393 Budget Appropriations- Fiscal Year 2005 Resolution Passed - House (215 - 212)
March 24, 2004 National HR 3873 Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act Bill Passed - House (419 - 5)
March 18, 2004 National HR 1375 Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2004 Bill Passed - House (392 - 25)
March 17, 2004 National H Res 557 War in Iraq Anniversary Resolution Resolution Passed - House (327 - 93)
March 12, 2004 National S Con Res 95 Budget Appropriations- FY 2005 Resolution Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
March 11, 2004 National HR 3717 FCC Indecency Penalties Bill Bill Passed - House (391 - 22)
March 10, 2004 National HR 339 Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) Bill Passed - House (276 - 139)
March 3, 2004 National HR 1561 US Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (379 - 28)
March 2, 2004 National S 1805 Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90)
Feb. 26, 2004 National HR 1997 Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 Bill Passed - House (254 - 163)
Feb. 25, 2004 National HR 2751 GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 Bill Passed - House (382 - 43)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/12 HR 4279 Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2004 Bill Passed - House (273 - 152)
5/11 S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
5/11 S 1637 Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5)
5/06 H Res 627 Resolution Condemning Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners Resolution Passed - House (365 - 50)
5/05 HR 4227 Middle-Class Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2004 Bill Passed - House (333 - 89)
4/29 S 150 Internet Access Tax Bill Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 3)
4/28 HR 4219 Highway Trust Fund Programs Extension Bill Bill Passed - House (410 - 0)
4/28 HR 4181 Marriage Penalty Tax Bill Bill Passed - House (323 - 95)
4/22 HR 2844 Continuity in Representation Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (306 - 97)
4/22 S 2329 Victims' Rights Bill Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
4/08 HR 3108 Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 19)
4/02 HR 3108 Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 Conference Report Adopted - House (336 - 69)
4/02 HR 3550 Highway Trust Fund Bill Bill Passed - House (357 - 65)
3/25 HR 1997 Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38)
3/25 H Con Res 393 Budget Appropriations- Fiscal Year 2005 Resolution Passed - House (215 - 212)
3/24 HR 3873 Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act Bill Passed - House (419 - 5)
3/18 HR 1375 Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2004 Bill Passed - House (392 - 25)
3/17 H Res 557 War in Iraq Anniversary Resolution Resolution Passed - House (327 - 93)
3/12 S Con Res 95 Budget Appropriations- FY 2005 Resolution Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 45)
3/11 HR 3717 FCC Indecency Penalties Bill Bill Passed - House (391 - 22)
3/10 HR 339 Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) Bill Passed - House (276 - 139)
3/03 HR 1561 US Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (379 - 28)
3/02 S 1805 Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90)
2/26 HR 1997 Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 Bill Passed - House (254 - 163)
2/25 HR 2751 GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 Bill Passed - House (382 - 43)

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