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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Jan. 28, 2004 | National | S 1920 | Farmer Bankruptcy Bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 99) |
| July 24, 2003 | National | HR 2738 | U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - House (270 - 156) |
| July 24, 2003 | National | HR 2739 | U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - House (272 - 155) |
| July 27, 2002 | National | HR 3009 | Andean Trade Preference Act Extension | Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 212) |
| Dec. 6, 2001 | National | HR 3005 | Fast Track Trade Authority bill | Bill Passed - House (215 - 214) |
| July 19, 2001 | National | H J Res 50 | China Trade Relations bill | Joint Resolution Failed - House (169 - 259) |
| Sept. 26, 2000 | National | HR 5175 | Small Business Superfund Exemption | Bill Failed - House (253 - 161) |
| June 21, 2000 | National | H J Res 90 | WTO Withdrawal resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (56 - 363) |
| June 9, 2000 | National | H Amdt 763 | Estate Tax Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 222) |
| May 24, 2000 | National | HR 4444 | U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (237 - 197) |
| May 4, 2000 | National | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (309 - 110) |
| March 9, 2000 | National | HR 3081 | Small Business Tax Fairness Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (257 - 169) |
| Feb. 16, 2000 | National | HR 2366 | Small Business Liability Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (221 - 193) |
| Aug. 3, 1999 | National | H J Res 58 | Economic Assistance to Vietnam | Joint Resolution Failed - House (130 - 297) |
| July 27, 1999 | National | H J Res 57 | China Trade resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (170 - 260) |
| July 1, 1999 | National | HR 10 | Financial Modernization bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 86) |
| May 5, 1999 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (313 - 108) |
| March 17, 1999 | National | HR 975 | Steel Import Limitation bill | Bill Passed - House (289 - 141) |
| Oct. 13, 1998 | National | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82) |
| Sept. 25, 1998 | National | HR 2621 | Reciprocal Trade Agreement Bill | Bill Failed - House (180 - 243) |
| Sept. 24, 1998 | National | HR 3736 | Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - House (288 - 133) |
| July 30, 1998 | National | H J Res 120 | Vietnam Trade Waiver Disapproval resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (163 - 260) |
| July 22, 1998 | National | H J Res 121 | Disapproval of 'Normal Trade Relations' Status with China | Joint Resolution Failed - House (166 - 264) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 1/28 | S 1920 | Farmer Bankruptcy Bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 99) |
| 7/24 | HR 2738 | U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - House (270 - 156) |
| 7/24 | HR 2739 | U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - House (272 - 155) |
| 7/27 | HR 3009 | Andean Trade Preference Act Extension | Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 212) |
| 12/06 | HR 3005 | Fast Track Trade Authority bill | Bill Passed - House (215 - 214) |
| 7/19 | H J Res 50 | China Trade Relations bill | Joint Resolution Failed - House (169 - 259) |
| 9/26 | HR 5175 | Small Business Superfund Exemption | Bill Failed - House (253 - 161) |
| 6/21 | H J Res 90 | WTO Withdrawal resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (56 - 363) |
| 6/09 | H Amdt 763 | Estate Tax Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 222) |
| 5/24 | HR 4444 | U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (237 - 197) |
| 5/04 | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (309 - 110) |
| 3/09 | HR 3081 | Small Business Tax Fairness Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (257 - 169) |
| 2/16 | HR 2366 | Small Business Liability Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (221 - 193) |
| 8/03 | H J Res 58 | Economic Assistance to Vietnam | Joint Resolution Failed - House (130 - 297) |
| 7/27 | H J Res 57 | China Trade resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (170 - 260) |
| 7/01 | HR 10 | Financial Modernization bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 86) |
| 5/05 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (313 - 108) |
| 3/17 | HR 975 | Steel Import Limitation bill | Bill Passed - House (289 - 141) |
| 10/13 | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82) |
| 9/25 | HR 2621 | Reciprocal Trade Agreement Bill | Bill Failed - House (180 - 243) |
| 9/24 | HR 3736 | Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - House (288 - 133) |
| 7/30 | H J Res 120 | Vietnam Trade Waiver Disapproval resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (163 - 260) |
| 7/22 | H J Res 121 | Disapproval of 'Normal Trade Relations' Status with China | Joint Resolution Failed - House (166 - 264) |