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. 27, 2002 | National | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| Oct. 25, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| Oct. 3, 2000 | National | S 2045 | American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| April 6, 2000 | National | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
| March 2, 2000 | National | S 1134 | Education Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 2, 2000 | National | S Amdt 2763 | Violent Protesters Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (80 - 17) |
| Oct. 21, 1999 | National | S 1692 | Ban on Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 34) |
| Sept. 14, 1999 | National | S J Res 33 | Puerto Rican Nationals resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (95 - 2) |
| Aug. 5, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1569 | NEA Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (80 - 16) |
| May 20, 1999 | National | S Amdt 362 | Gun Show Sale Regulation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| May 20, 1999 | National | S 254 | Juvenile Crime bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 25) |
| May 18, 1999 | National | S Amdt 351 | Religious Memorials at Schools Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 13) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3266 | Internet Gambling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
| July 22, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| July 21, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3230 | Gun Lock Requirement Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (61 - 39) |
| June 24, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
| June 9, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2451 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
| May 18, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| May 18, 1998 | National | S 1723 | Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Feb. 11, 1998 | National | S 1601 | Human Cloning Research bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (42 - 54) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/27 | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| 10/25 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 10/03 | S 2045 | American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 4/06 | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 3/02 | S 1134 | Education Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2763 | Violent Protesters Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (80 - 17) |
| 10/21 | S 1692 | Ban on Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 34) |
| 9/14 | S J Res 33 | Puerto Rican Nationals resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (95 - 2) |
| 8/05 | S Amdt 1569 | NEA Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (80 - 16) |
| 5/20 | S Amdt 362 | Gun Show Sale Regulation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 5/20 | S 254 | Juvenile Crime bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 25) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 351 | Religious Memorials at Schools Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 13) |
| 7/23 | S Amdt 3266 | Internet Gambling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 7/23 | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 7/21 | S Amdt 3230 | Gun Lock Requirement Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 6/24 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
| 6/09 | S Amdt 2451 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 5/18 | S 1723 | Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 2/11 | S 1601 | Human Cloning Research bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (42 - 54) |