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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 21, 2005 | National | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 220 | Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37) |
| March 16, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| March 16, 2005 | National | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Feb. 10, 2005 | National | HR 418 | Real ID Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (261 - 161) |
| Oct. 8, 2004 | National | HR 10 | 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act | Bill Passed - House (282 - 134) |
| Oct. 6, 2004 | National | S 2845 | National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2) |
| Sept. 14, 2004 | National | HR 4571 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (229 - 174) |
| June 23, 2004 | National | S 2400 | Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| June 23, 2004 | National | HR 4548 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 | Bill Passed - House (360 - 61) |
| June 18, 2004 | National | HR 4567 | Homeland Security Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (400 - 5) |
| May 12, 2004 | National | HR 4280 | Medical Malpractice Liability Limitation Bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| April 22, 2004 | National | S 2329 | Victims' Rights Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| April 22, 2004 | National | S 2329 | Victims' Rights Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| March 25, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| March 10, 2004 | National | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
| March 2, 2004 | National | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| 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) |
| Nov. 20, 2003 | National | HR 253 | Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (352 - 67) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/21 | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| 4/21 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| 4/21 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| 3/17 | S Amdt 220 | Homeland Security Grant Program Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 3/16 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| 3/16 | HR 1268 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 43) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 2/10 | HR 418 | Real ID Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (261 - 161) |
| 10/08 | HR 10 | 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act | Bill Passed - House (282 - 134) |
| 10/06 | S 2845 | National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2) |
| 9/14 | HR 4571 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (229 - 174) |
| 6/23 | S 2400 | Military Construction FY2005 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| 6/23 | HR 4548 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 | Bill Passed - House (360 - 61) |
| 6/18 | HR 4567 | Homeland Security Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (400 - 5) |
| 5/12 | HR 4280 | Medical Malpractice Liability Limitation Bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| 4/22 | S 2329 | Victims' Rights Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 4/22 | S 2329 | Victims' Rights Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 3/25 | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 3/10 | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
| 3/02 | S 1805 | Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 90) |
| 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) |
| 11/20 | HR 253 | Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (352 - 67) |