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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 25, 2004 | National | HR 2751 | GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (382 - 43) |
| Nov. 20, 2003 | National | HR 2417 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (264 - 163) |
| Nov. 18, 2003 | National | HR 2754 | Energy and Water Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (387 - 36) |
| Oct. 16, 2003 | National | H Res 198 | Iraq's Reconstruction Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (394 - 31) |
| Sept. 24, 2003 | National | HR 2657 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (371 - 56) |
| July 9, 2003 | National | HR 2657 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill | Bill Passed - House (394 - 26) |
| June 3, 2003 | National | H J Res 4 | Flag Burning Resolution | Bill Passed - House (300 - 125) |
| April 11, 2003 | National | H Con Res 95 | Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
| March 21, 2003 | National | H Con Res 95 | Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 | Resolution Passed - House (215 - 212) |
| March 13, 2003 | National | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 196) |
| Feb. 13, 2003 | National | H J Res 2 | Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - House (338 - 83) |
| Oct. 10, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| 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 24, 2002 | National | HR 5120 | Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002 | Bill Passed - House (308 - 121) |
| July 24, 2002 | National | H Res 495 | Expulsion of Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., D-Ohio | Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1) |
| July 18, 2002 | National | HR 5121 | Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 | Bill Passed - House (365 - 49) |
| Dec. 19, 2001 | National | HR 2506 | Foreign Operations FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 66) |
| Dec. 6, 2001 | National | HR 2944 | District of Columbia FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (302 - 84) |
| Nov. 30, 2001 | National | HR 2299 | Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (371 - 11) |
| Nov. 13, 2001 | National | HR 2330 | Agriculture FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (379 - 33) |
| Nov. 8, 2001 | National | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (401 - 18) |
| Nov. 1, 2001 | National | HR 2647 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 52) |
| Nov. 1, 2001 | National | HR 2647 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 52) |
| July 20, 2001 | National | HR 2216 | 2001 Supplemental Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (375 - 30) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/25 | HR 2751 | GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (382 - 43) |
| 11/20 | HR 2417 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (264 - 163) |
| 11/18 | HR 2754 | Energy and Water Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (387 - 36) |
| 10/16 | H Res 198 | Iraq's Reconstruction Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (394 - 31) |
| 9/24 | HR 2657 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (371 - 56) |
| 7/09 | HR 2657 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill | Bill Passed - House (394 - 26) |
| 6/03 | H J Res 4 | Flag Burning Resolution | Bill Passed - House (300 - 125) |
| 4/11 | H Con Res 95 | Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
| 3/21 | H Con Res 95 | Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 | Resolution Passed - House (215 - 212) |
| 3/13 | HR 5 | Malpractice Liability bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 196) |
| 2/13 | H J Res 2 | Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 | Conference Report Adopted - House (338 - 83) |
| 10/10 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48) |
| 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) |
| 7/24 | HR 5120 | Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002 | Bill Passed - House (308 - 121) |
| 7/24 | H Res 495 | Expulsion of Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., D-Ohio | Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1) |
| 7/18 | HR 5121 | Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 | Bill Passed - House (365 - 49) |
| 12/19 | HR 2506 | Foreign Operations FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 66) |
| 12/06 | HR 2944 | District of Columbia FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (302 - 84) |
| 11/30 | HR 2299 | Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (371 - 11) |
| 11/13 | HR 2330 | Agriculture FY2002 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (379 - 33) |
| 11/08 | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (401 - 18) |
| 11/01 | HR 2647 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 52) |
| 11/01 | HR 2647 | Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 52) |
| 7/20 | HR 2216 | 2001 Supplemental Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (375 - 30) |