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) |
| 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) |