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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2003 | National | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| May 23, 2003 | National | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200) |
| May 22, 2003 | National | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (361 - 68) |
| May 22, 2003 | National | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| April 2, 2003 | National | HR 743 | Social Security Protection Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (396 - 28) |
| March 13, 2003 | National | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 196) |
| Feb. 13, 2003 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 192) |
| Feb. 13, 2003 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 192) |
| Nov. 19, 2002 | National | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1) |
| Oct. 10, 2002 | National | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - House (409 - 14) |
| Aug. 1, 2002 | National | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3) |
| July 26, 2002 | National | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - House (295 - 132) |
| July 25, 2002 | National | HR 5121 | Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| July 24, 2002 | National | H Res 495 | Expulsion of Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., D-Ohio | Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1) |
| July 18, 2002 | National | HR 5011 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| July 18, 2002 | National | HR 5121 | Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 | Bill Passed - House (365 - 49) |
| July 17, 2002 | National | HR 5093 | Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| June 28, 2002 | National | HR 4954 | Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 208) |
| June 27, 2002 | National | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (413 - 18) |
| June 27, 2002 | National | HR 5011 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (426 - 1) |
| June 21, 2002 | National | S Amdt 3927 | Military Abortion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
| June 11, 2002 | National | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| May 16, 2002 | National | HR 4737 | Temporary Aid to Needy Families | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| May 16, 2002 | National | HR 4737 | Temporary Aid to Needy Families | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/23 | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 5/23 | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200) |
| 5/22 | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (361 - 68) |
| 5/22 | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 4/02 | HR 743 | Social Security Protection Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (396 - 28) |
| 3/13 | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 196) |
| 2/13 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 192) |
| 2/13 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 192) |
| 11/19 | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9) |
| 10/16 | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 1) |
| 10/10 | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - House (409 - 14) |
| 8/01 | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3) |
| 7/26 | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - House (295 - 132) |
| 7/25 | HR 5121 | Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| 7/24 | H Res 495 | Expulsion of Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., D-Ohio | Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1) |
| 7/18 | HR 5011 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| 7/18 | HR 5121 | Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 | Bill Passed - House (365 - 49) |
| 7/17 | HR 5093 | Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| 6/28 | HR 4954 | Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 208) |
| 6/27 | HR 5010 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (413 - 18) |
| 6/27 | HR 5011 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (426 - 1) |
| 6/21 | S Amdt 3927 | Military Abortion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
| 6/11 | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 5/16 | HR 4737 | Temporary Aid to Needy Families | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| 5/16 | HR 4737 | Temporary Aid to Needy Families | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |