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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 11, 2004 | National | HR 4520 | JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17) |
| Oct. 11, 2004 | National | HR 4520 | JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17) |
| May 11, 2004 | National | S 1637 | Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5) |
| May 11, 2004 | National | S 1637 | Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5) |
| July 31, 2003 | National | HR 2738 | U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32) |
| July 31, 2003 | National | HR 2739 | U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32) |
| Aug. 1, 2002 | National | HR 3009 | Andean Trade Preference Act Extension | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34) |
| July 31, 2002 | National | S 812 | Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21) |
| July 15, 2002 | National | S 2673 | Accounting Industry Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| June 18, 2002 | National | S 2600 | Terrorism Insurance Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| Sept. 19, 2000 | National | HR 4444 | U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 15) |
| Sept. 13, 2000 | National | S Amdt 4132 | China Nonproliferation Act | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 32) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3821 | Estate Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| May 11, 2000 | National | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| Feb. 2, 2000 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| Nov. 3, 1999 | National | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 19) |
| May 13, 1998 | National | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
| July 17, 1997 | National | S Amdt 890 | Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| July 9, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| March 5, 1996 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 22) |
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Dec. 5, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| Oct. 19, 1995 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/11 | HR 4520 | JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17) |
| 10/11 | HR 4520 | JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17) |
| 5/11 | S 1637 | Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5) |
| 5/11 | S 1637 | Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5) |
| 7/31 | HR 2738 | U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32) |
| 7/31 | HR 2739 | U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32) |
| 8/01 | HR 3009 | Andean Trade Preference Act Extension | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34) |
| 7/31 | S 812 | Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 7/15 | S 2673 | Accounting Industry Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| 6/18 | S 2600 | Terrorism Insurance Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| 9/19 | HR 4444 | U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 15) |
| 9/13 | S Amdt 4132 | China Nonproliferation Act | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 32) |
| 7/13 | S Amdt 3821 | Estate Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 5/11 | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| 2/02 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| 11/03 | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 19) |
| 5/13 | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
| 7/17 | S Amdt 890 | Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77) |
| 8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 7/09 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 3/05 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 22) |
| 12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 12/05 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| 10/19 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |