Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
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. 6, 2003 National HR 1829 Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (350 - 65)
Oct. 30, 2003 National HR 2691 Interior Department Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 205)
Oct. 16, 2003 National H Res 198 Iraq's Reconstruction Resolution Resolution Passed - House (394 - 31)
July 25, 2003 National HR 2210 Head Start Bill Bill Passed - House (217 - 216)
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 24, 2003 National HR 2800 Foreign Operations Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Bill Passed - House (370 - 50)
July 17, 2003 National HR 2691 Interior Department Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Bill Passed - House (268 - 152)
July 16, 2003 National HR 2122 Project BioShield Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (421 - 2)
June 27, 2003 National HR 1 Medicare Prescription Drug bill Bill Passed - House (216 - 215)
June 27, 2003 National S 1 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
May 1, 2003 National HR 1298 AIDS Assistance bill Bill Passed - House (375 - 41)
April 10, 2003 National S 151 Enhance AMBER Alert bill Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 25)
March 31, 2003 National HR 1463 Vaccine Compensation bill Bill Failed - House (184 - 206)
Date No. Title Outcome
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)
11/06 HR 1829 Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (350 - 65)
10/30 HR 2691 Interior Department Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 205)
10/16 H Res 198 Iraq's Reconstruction Resolution Resolution Passed - House (394 - 31)
7/25 HR 2210 Head Start Bill Bill Passed - House (217 - 216)
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)
7/24 HR 2800 Foreign Operations Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Bill Passed - House (370 - 50)
7/17 HR 2691 Interior Department Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Bill Passed - House (268 - 152)
7/16 HR 2122 Project BioShield Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (421 - 2)
6/27 HR 1 Medicare Prescription Drug bill Bill Passed - House (216 - 215)
6/27 S 1 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
5/01 HR 1298 AIDS Assistance bill Bill Passed - House (375 - 41)
4/10 S 151 Enhance AMBER Alert bill Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 25)
3/31 HR 1463 Vaccine Compensation bill Bill Failed - House (184 - 206)

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