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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 16, 2003 | National | HR 2122 | Project BioShield Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (421 - 2) |
| July 14, 2003 | National | HR 2673 | Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA | Bill Passed - House (347 - 64) |
| 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 10, 2003 | National | S Amdt 865 | Hydrogen Fuel Cell Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 32) |
| June 10, 2003 | National | HR 2143 | Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act | Bill Passed - House (319 - 104) |
| May 22, 2003 | National | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (361 - 68) |
| May 22, 2003 | National | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| May 1, 2003 | National | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| April 11, 2003 | National | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 175) |
| April 3, 2003 | National | HR 1559 | Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003 | Bill Passed - House (414 - 12) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 11/18 | 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 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) |
| 7/16 | HR 2122 | Project BioShield Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (421 - 2) |
| 7/14 | HR 2673 | Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA | Bill Passed - House (347 - 64) |
| 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) |
| 6/10 | S Amdt 865 | Hydrogen Fuel Cell Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 32) |
| 6/10 | HR 2143 | Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act | Bill Passed - House (319 - 104) |
| 5/22 | HR 1588 | Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (361 - 68) |
| 5/22 | S 1050 | Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 5/01 | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| 4/11 | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 175) |
| 4/03 | HR 1559 | Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003 | Bill Passed - House (414 - 12) |
| 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) |