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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 27, 2003 | National | S 1 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21) |
| June 27, 2003 | National | HR 1 | Medicare Prescription Drug bill | Bill Passed - House (216 - 215) |
| June 19, 2003 | National | HR 660 | Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (262 - 162) |
| June 19, 2003 | National | HR 1528 | Taxpayer Protection and IRS Accountability Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (252 - 170) |
| June 4, 2003 | National | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
| May 20, 2003 | National | HR 1904 | Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 | (256 - 170) |
| May 1, 2003 | National | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| May 1, 2003 | National | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| March 31, 2003 | National | HR 1463 | Vaccine Compensation bill | Bill Failed - House (184 - 206) |
| March 19, 2003 | National | S Amdt 272 | ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| July 31, 2002 | National | S 812 | Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21) |
| June 28, 2002 | National | HR 4954 | Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 208) |
| May 8, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |
| May 8, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |
| May 2, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141) |
| May 2, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141) |
| April 25, 2002 | National | HR 4 | Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 11) |
| Feb. 13, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40) |
| Feb. 13, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40) |
| Oct. 17, 2001 | National | HR 2217 | Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 28) |
| Oct. 17, 2001 | National | HR 2217 | Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3) |
| Oct. 5, 2001 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - House (291 - 120) |
| Oct. 5, 2001 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - House (291 - 120) |
| Aug. 2, 2001 | National | H Amdt 303 | Amendment to the Bipartisan Patient Protection Act | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 213) |
| Aug. 2, 2001 | National | HR 2563 | Bipartisan Patient Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (226 - 203) |
| Aug. 2, 2001 | National | HR 4 | Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (240 - 189) |
| Aug. 1, 2001 | National | H Amdt 288 | Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (160 - 269) |
| Aug. 1, 2001 | National | H Amdt 298 | Prohibiting Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 223) |
| July 31, 2001 | National | H Amdt 285 | Human Cloning Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (178 - 249) |
| July 31, 2001 | National | HR 2505 | Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 162) |
| June 29, 2001 | National | S 1052 | Patients' Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36) |
| June 29, 2001 | National | S 1052 | Patients' Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36) |
| Sept. 26, 2000 | National | HR 5175 | Small Business Superfund Exemption | Bill Failed - House (253 - 161) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | H Amdt 997 | Family Planning Assistance Funding amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 221) |
| June 29, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3694 | Health Care Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| June 28, 2000 | National | HR 4680 | Medicare Rx bill | Bill Passed - House (217 - 214) |
| June 22, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3598 | Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| June 21, 2000 | National | H Amdt 858 | EPA Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 216) |
| June 7, 2000 | National | H Amdt 745 | San Rafael Swell Area Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 211) |
| June 7, 2000 | National | H Amdt 748 | San Rafael Legacy District Motor Vehicle Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 214) |
| May 11, 2000 | National | H Amdt 694 | Local Government Participation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 238) |
| May 11, 2000 | National | HR 701 | Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 102) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 687 | Social Security and Medicare Solvency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 208) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| Oct. 27, 1999 | National | HR 2260 | Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (271 - 156) |
| Oct. 7, 1999 | National | H Amdt 514 | Patient Protection Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (193 - 238) |
| Oct. 7, 1999 | National | HR 2723 | Patient Protection bill | Bill Passed - House (275 - 151) |
| Oct. 6, 1999 | National | HR 2990 | Patients' Bill of Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (227 - 205) |
| Sept. 30, 1999 | National | H Amdt 509 | Substitute Amendment to Unborn Victims of Violence Act | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 224) |
| Sept. 30, 1999 | National | HR 2436 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 172) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/27 | S 1 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21) |
| 6/27 | HR 1 | Medicare Prescription Drug bill | Bill Passed - House (216 - 215) |
| 6/19 | HR 660 | Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (262 - 162) |
| 6/19 | HR 1528 | Taxpayer Protection and IRS Accountability Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (252 - 170) |
| 6/04 | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
| 5/20 | HR 1904 | Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 | (256 - 170) |
| 5/01 | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| 5/01 | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| 3/31 | HR 1463 | Vaccine Compensation bill | Bill Failed - House (184 - 206) |
| 3/19 | S Amdt 272 | ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48) |
| 7/31 | S 812 | Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 6/28 | HR 4954 | Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 208) |
| 5/08 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 5/08 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 5/02 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141) |
| 5/02 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141) |
| 4/25 | HR 4 | Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 11) |
| 2/13 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 2/13 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 10/17 | HR 2217 | Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 28) |
| 10/17 | HR 2217 | Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3) |
| 10/05 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - House (291 - 120) |
| 10/05 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - House (291 - 120) |
| 8/02 | H Amdt 303 | Amendment to the Bipartisan Patient Protection Act | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 213) |
| 8/02 | HR 2563 | Bipartisan Patient Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (226 - 203) |
| 8/02 | HR 4 | Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (240 - 189) |
| 8/01 | H Amdt 288 | Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (160 - 269) |
| 8/01 | H Amdt 298 | Prohibiting Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 223) |
| 7/31 | H Amdt 285 | Human Cloning Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (178 - 249) |
| 7/31 | HR 2505 | Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (265 - 162) |
| 6/29 | S 1052 | Patients' Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36) |
| 6/29 | S 1052 | Patients' Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36) |
| 9/26 | HR 5175 | Small Business Superfund Exemption | Bill Failed - House (253 - 161) |
| 7/13 | H Amdt 997 | Family Planning Assistance Funding amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 221) |
| 6/29 | S Amdt 3694 | Health Care Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 6/28 | HR 4680 | Medicare Rx bill | Bill Passed - House (217 - 214) |
| 6/22 | S Amdt 3598 | Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 6/21 | H Amdt 858 | EPA Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 216) |
| 6/07 | H Amdt 745 | San Rafael Swell Area Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 211) |
| 6/07 | H Amdt 748 | San Rafael Legacy District Motor Vehicle Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 214) |
| 5/11 | H Amdt 694 | Local Government Participation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (187 - 238) |
| 5/11 | HR 701 | Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 102) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 687 | Social Security and Medicare Solvency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 208) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| 10/27 | HR 2260 | Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (271 - 156) |
| 10/07 | H Amdt 514 | Patient Protection Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (193 - 238) |
| 10/07 | HR 2723 | Patient Protection bill | Bill Passed - House (275 - 151) |
| 10/06 | HR 2990 | Patients' Bill of Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (227 - 205) |
| 9/30 | H Amdt 509 | Substitute Amendment to Unborn Victims of Violence Act | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 224) |
| 9/30 | HR 2436 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 172) |