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. 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)

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