National Populations 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 11, 2004 National S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
Oct. 23, 2003 National S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
Oct. 17, 2003 National S 1689 Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
July 11, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
May 23, 2003 National HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
May 22, 2003 National S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
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)
Aug. 1, 2002 National HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
July 25, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
July 18, 2002 National HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
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 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. 13, 2001 National S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
Dec. 7, 2001 National S Amdt 2336 International Courts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
Nov. 8, 2001 National HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7)
Oct. 17, 2001 National HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
March 21, 2001 National S Amdt 134 Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31)
Feb. 1, 2001 National PN 107 John Ashcroft, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42)
Jan. 30, 2001 National PN 96 Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24)
Oct. 3, 2000 National S 2045 American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
June 29, 2000 National S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
June 22, 2000 National S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/11 S Amdt 3114 Unemployment Benefits Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40)
10/23 S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
10/17 S 1689 Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
7/11 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
5/23 HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
5/22 S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
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)
8/01 HR 5010 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
7/25 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
7/18 HR 5011 Military Construction Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 3)
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)
5/08 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)
12/13 S 1438 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 2)
12/07 S Amdt 2336 International Courts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
11/08 HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7)
10/17 HR 2217 Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
3/21 S Amdt 134 Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31)
2/01 PN 107 John Ashcroft, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42)
1/30 PN 96 Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24)
10/03 S 2045 American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1)
6/29 S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
6/22 S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)

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