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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 18, 2004 | National | HR 1375 | Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (392 - 25) |
| March 17, 2004 | National | H Res 557 | War in Iraq Anniversary Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (327 - 93) |
| March 11, 2004 | National | HR 3717 | FCC Indecency Penalties Bill | Bill Passed - House (391 - 22) |
| March 10, 2004 | National | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
| Feb. 12, 2004 | National | S 1072 | Highway Trust Fund Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21) |
| Jan. 28, 2004 | National | S 1920 | Farmer Bankruptcy Bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 99) |
| Jan. 28, 2004 | National | S 1920 | Farmer Bankruptcy Bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 99) |
| Jan. 22, 2004 | National | HR 2673 | Consolidated Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28) |
| Nov. 25, 2003 | National | HR 1 | Medicare Prescription Drug bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| Nov. 22, 2003 | National | HR 1 | Medicare Prescription Drug bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 215) |
| Nov. 18, 2003 | National | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 180) |
| Nov. 18, 2003 | National | HR 2754 | Energy and Water Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (387 - 36) |
| Nov. 12, 2003 | National | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3) |
| Nov. 7, 2003 | National | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (362 - 40) |
| Nov. 5, 2003 | National | HR 2559 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (417 - 5) |
| Oct. 31, 2003 | National | HR 3289 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| Oct. 30, 2003 | National | HR 2115 | Aviation Administration FY2004-2006 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 207) |
| Oct. 17, 2003 | National | S 1689 | Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| Sept. 9, 2003 | National | HR 2989 | Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (381 - 39) |
| July 31, 2003 | National | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| July 25, 2003 | National | HR 2861 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 | Bill Passed - House (316 - 109) |
| July 25, 2003 | National | HR 2427 | Imports of Prescription Drugs bill | Bill Passed - House (243 - 186) |
| July 25, 2003 | National | HR 2210 | Head Start Bill | Bill Passed - House (217 - 216) |
| July 24, 2003 | National | HR 2800 | Foreign Operations Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Bill Passed - House (370 - 50) |
| July 16, 2003 | National | HR 2122 | Project BioShield Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (421 - 2) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/18 | HR 1375 | Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (392 - 25) |
| 3/17 | H Res 557 | War in Iraq Anniversary Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (327 - 93) |
| 3/11 | HR 3717 | FCC Indecency Penalties Bill | Bill Passed - House (391 - 22) |
| 3/10 | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
| 2/12 | S 1072 | Highway Trust Fund Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21) |
| 1/28 | S 1920 | Farmer Bankruptcy Bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 99) |
| 1/28 | S 1920 | Farmer Bankruptcy Bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 99) |
| 1/22 | HR 2673 | Consolidated Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 28) |
| 11/25 | HR 1 | Medicare Prescription Drug bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 11/22 | HR 1 | Medicare Prescription Drug bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 215) |
| 11/18 | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 180) |
| 11/18 | HR 2754 | Energy and Water Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (387 - 36) |
| 11/12 | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3) |
| 11/07 | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (362 - 40) |
| 11/05 | HR 2559 | Military Construction Appropriations Act, 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (417 - 5) |
| 10/31 | HR 3289 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| 10/30 | HR 2115 | Aviation Administration FY2004-2006 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 207) |
| 10/17 | S 1689 | Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| 9/09 | HR 2989 | Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (381 - 39) |
| 7/31 | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| 7/25 | HR 2861 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 | Bill Passed - House (316 - 109) |
| 7/25 | HR 2427 | Imports of Prescription Drugs bill | Bill Passed - House (243 - 186) |
| 7/25 | HR 2210 | Head Start Bill | Bill Passed - House (217 - 216) |
| 7/24 | HR 2800 | Foreign Operations Appropriations, FY 2004 bill | Bill Passed - House (370 - 50) |
| 7/16 | HR 2122 | Project BioShield Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (421 - 2) |