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 13, 2005 | National | HR 8 | Death/Estate Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (272 - 162) |
| March 10, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| July 25, 2003 | National | HR 2861 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 | Bill Passed - House (316 - 109) |
| Nov. 8, 2001 | National | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (401 - 18) |
| Nov. 8, 2001 | National | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7) |
| Sept. 7, 2000 | National | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Veto Override Failed - House (274 - 157) |
| July 14, 2000 | National | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3821 | Estate Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| June 9, 2000 | National | H Amdt 763 | Estate Tax Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 222) |
| June 9, 2000 | National | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 136) |
| Oct. 15, 1999 | National | HR 2684 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Oct. 14, 1999 | National | HR 2684 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 | Conference Report Adopted - House (406 - 18) |
| Oct. 13, 1999 | National | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| Oct. 1, 1999 | National | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (240 - 175) |
| Sept. 9, 1999 | National | HR 2684 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 | Bill Passed - House (235 - 187) |
| Sept. 8, 1999 | National | H Amdt 423 | International Space Station Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (121 - 298) |
| June 17, 1999 | National | H Amdt 200 | Ten Commandments Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (248 - 180) |
| June 8, 1999 | National | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (246 - 183) |
| Oct. 8, 1998 | National | HR 4194 | FY 1999 VA-HUD Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 1) |
| Oct. 6, 1998 | National | HR 4194 | FY 1999 VA-HUD Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (409 - 14) |
| July 29, 1998 | National | HR 4194 | Appropriations bill FY99, Veterans Affairs, HUD | Bill Passed - House (259 - 164) |
| Oct. 22, 1997 | National | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| May 14, 1997 | National | HR 2 | Public Housing bill | Bill Passed - House (293 - 132) |
| Sept. 24, 1996 | National | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/13 | HR 8 | Death/Estate Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (272 - 162) |
| 3/10 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 7/25 | HR 2861 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 | Bill Passed - House (316 - 109) |
| 11/08 | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (401 - 18) |
| 11/08 | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7) |
| 9/07 | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Veto Override Failed - House (274 - 157) |
| 7/14 | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 7/13 | S Amdt 3821 | Estate Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 6/09 | H Amdt 763 | Estate Tax Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 222) |
| 6/09 | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (279 - 136) |
| 10/15 | HR 2684 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 10/14 | HR 2684 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 | Conference Report Adopted - House (406 - 18) |
| 10/13 | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 10/01 | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (240 - 175) |
| 9/09 | HR 2684 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 | Bill Passed - House (235 - 187) |
| 9/08 | H Amdt 423 | International Space Station Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (121 - 298) |
| 6/17 | H Amdt 200 | Ten Commandments Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (248 - 180) |
| 6/08 | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (246 - 183) |
| 10/08 | HR 4194 | FY 1999 VA-HUD Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 10/06 | HR 4194 | FY 1999 VA-HUD Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (409 - 14) |
| 7/29 | HR 4194 | Appropriations bill FY99, Veterans Affairs, HUD | Bill Passed - House (259 - 164) |
| 10/22 | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 5/14 | HR 2 | Public Housing bill | Bill Passed - House (293 - 132) |
| 9/24 | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25) |