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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 6, 2003 | National | HR 1829 | Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (350 - 65) |
| Sept. 24, 2003 | National | HR 2658 | Terrorism Information Awareness bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (407 - 15) |
| Sept. 24, 2003 | National | HR 2555 | Homeland Security Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (417 - 8) |
| July 25, 2003 | National | HR 2859 | Emergency Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act,2003 | Bill Passed - House (352 - 60) |
| July 16, 2003 | National | HR 2122 | Project BioShield Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (421 - 2) |
| July 8, 2003 | National | HR 2658 | Terrorism Information Awareness bill | Bill Passed - House (399 - 19) |
| June 24, 2003 | National | HR 2555 | Homeland Security Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Bill Passed - House (425 - 2) |
| May 22, 2003 | National | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| April 10, 2003 | National | S 151 | Enhance AMBER Alert bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 25) |
| April 9, 2003 | National | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| April 9, 2003 | National | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| Nov. 19, 2002 | National | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| Oct. 10, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| July 26, 2002 | National | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - House (295 - 132) |
| July 10, 2002 | National | HR 4635 | Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (310 - 113) |
| July 10, 2002 | National | HR 4635 | Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (310 - 113) |
| June 18, 2002 | National | S 2600 | Terrorism Insurance Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| June 11, 2002 | National | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| April 11, 2002 | National | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| Feb. 27, 2002 | National | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| Dec. 7, 2001 | National | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| Nov. 16, 2001 | National | S 1447 | Federalize Aviation Security bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 9) |
| Oct. 25, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| Oct. 25, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/06 | HR 1829 | Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (350 - 65) |
| 9/24 | HR 2658 | Terrorism Information Awareness bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (407 - 15) |
| 9/24 | HR 2555 | Homeland Security Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (417 - 8) |
| 7/25 | HR 2859 | Emergency Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act,2003 | Bill Passed - House (352 - 60) |
| 7/16 | HR 2122 | Project BioShield Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (421 - 2) |
| 7/08 | HR 2658 | Terrorism Information Awareness bill | Bill Passed - House (399 - 19) |
| 6/24 | HR 2555 | Homeland Security Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Bill Passed - House (425 - 2) |
| 5/22 | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 4/10 | S 151 | Enhance AMBER Alert bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 25) |
| 4/09 | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 4/09 | HR 1036 | Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act | Bill Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 11/19 | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9) |
| 10/16 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 10/10 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| 7/26 | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - House (295 - 132) |
| 7/10 | HR 4635 | Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (310 - 113) |
| 7/10 | HR 4635 | Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act | Bill Passed - House (310 - 113) |
| 6/18 | S 2600 | Terrorism Insurance Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| 6/11 | S 625 | Hate Crimes Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 4/11 | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 2/27 | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| 12/07 | S Amdt 2336 | International Courts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 11/16 | S 1447 | Federalize Aviation Security bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 9) |
| 10/25 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 10/25 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |