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. 21, 2003 National S 1156 Department of Veterans Affairs Improvement Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (423 - 2)
Nov. 7, 2003 National HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - House (362 - 40)
Sept. 24, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (371 - 56)
Sept. 24, 2003 National HR 2658 Terrorism Information Awareness bill Conference Report Adopted - House (407 - 15)
Sept. 23, 2003 National HR 1409 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Land Exchange Act '02 Bill Passed - House (288 - 127)
July 25, 2003 National HR 2861 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
July 9, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - House (394 - 26)
July 9, 2003 National HR 438 Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Bill Passed - House (417 - 7)
July 8, 2003 National HR 2658 Terrorism Information Awareness bill Bill Passed - House (399 - 19)
June 11, 2003 National HR 2350 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (406 - 6)
May 23, 2003 National HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200)
May 22, 2003 National HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Bill Passed - House (361 - 68)
April 2, 2003 National HR 743 Social Security Protection Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (396 - 28)
March 13, 2003 National HR 5 Malpractice Liability bill Bill Passed - House (229 - 196)
Feb. 13, 2003 National HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
Feb. 13, 2003 National HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/21 S 1156 Department of Veterans Affairs Improvement Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (423 - 2)
11/07 HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - House (362 - 40)
9/24 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (371 - 56)
9/24 HR 2658 Terrorism Information Awareness bill Conference Report Adopted - House (407 - 15)
9/23 HR 1409 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Land Exchange Act '02 Bill Passed - House (288 - 127)
7/25 HR 2861 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
7/09 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - House (394 - 26)
7/09 HR 438 Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Bill Passed - House (417 - 7)
7/08 HR 2658 Terrorism Information Awareness bill Bill Passed - House (399 - 19)
6/11 HR 2350 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (406 - 6)
5/23 HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200)
5/22 HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Bill Passed - House (361 - 68)
4/02 HR 743 Social Security Protection Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (396 - 28)
3/13 HR 5 Malpractice Liability bill Bill Passed - House (229 - 196)
2/13 HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
2/13 HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)

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