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. 12, 2003 National HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
Oct. 28, 2003 National PN 884 Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (88 - 8)
Oct. 23, 2003 National S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
Oct. 21, 2003 National S 3 Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34)
Oct. 17, 2003 National S 1689 Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
Sept. 16, 2003 National S J Res 17 FCC Media Ownership bill Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 40)
July 31, 2003 National HR 6 Energy Omnibus bill Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14)
July 31, 2003 National HR 2738 U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32)
July 31, 2003 National HR 2739 U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32)
July 11, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
June 27, 2003 National S 1 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
June 10, 2003 National S Amdt 871 Reduction of Foreign Oil Dependence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (99 - 1)
June 10, 2003 National S Amdt 865 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 32)
May 23, 2003 National HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
May 22, 2003 National S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
April 11, 2003 National H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
March 26, 2003 National S Con Res 23 Budget Resolution FY2004 Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44)
March 19, 2003 National S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
Feb. 13, 2003 National H J Res 2 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/25 HR 1 Medicare Prescription Drug bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
11/12 HR 1588 Defense Department FY2004 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3)
10/28 PN 884 Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (88 - 8)
10/23 S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
10/21 S 3 Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34)
10/17 S 1689 Emergency Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
9/16 S J Res 17 FCC Media Ownership bill Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 40)
7/31 HR 6 Energy Omnibus bill Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14)
7/31 HR 2738 U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32)
7/31 HR 2739 U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32)
7/11 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
6/27 S 1 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit bill Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 21)
6/10 S Amdt 871 Reduction of Foreign Oil Dependence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (99 - 1)
6/10 S Amdt 865 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 32)
5/23 HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
5/22 S 1050 Fiscal 2004 Defense Authorization-Passage Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
4/11 H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
3/26 S Con Res 23 Budget Resolution FY2004 Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44)
3/19 S Amdt 272 ANWR Oil Drilling Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 48)
2/13 H J Res 2 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 20)

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