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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Oct. 30, 2003 National HR 2115 Aviation Administration FY2004-2006 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 207)
April 11, 2003 National H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
April 11, 2003 National H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211)
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. 21, 2003 National S 1156 Department of Veterans Affairs Improvement Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (423 - 2)
Nov. 18, 2003 National HR 2754 Energy and Water Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (387 - 36)
April 10, 2003 National S 151 Enhance AMBER Alert bill Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 25)
Nov. 21, 2003 National HR 1904 Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 140)
Sept. 24, 2003 National HR 2555 Homeland Security Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (417 - 8)
Nov. 20, 2003 National HR 2417 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - House (264 - 163)
Oct. 30, 2003 National HR 2691 Interior Department Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 205)
Oct. 21, 2003 National S 3 Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34)
Oct. 2, 2003 National S 3 Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 142)
Nov. 22, 2003 National S 877 Reduction of SPAM bill Bill Passed - House (392 - 5)
Sept. 24, 2003 National HR 2658 Terrorism Information Awareness bill Conference Report Adopted - House (407 - 15)
Jan. 8, 2003 National S 23 Unemployment Benefits bill Bill Passed - House (416 - 4)
July 14, 2003 National HR 2673 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Bill Passed - House (347 - 64)
July 25, 2003 National HR 2859 Emergency Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act,2003 Bill Passed - House (352 - 60)
July 25, 2003 National HR 2861 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
June 27, 2003 National HR 1 Medicare Prescription Drug bill Bill Passed - House (216 - 215)
June 3, 2003 National H J Res 4 Flag Burning Resolution Bill Passed - House (300 - 125)
Sept. 9, 2003 National HR 2989 Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill Passed - House (381 - 39)
Sept. 25, 2003 National HR 3161 Do-Not-Call-Registry bill Bill Passed - House (412 - 8)
Feb. 13, 2003 National HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/30 HR 2115 Aviation Administration FY2004-2006 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 207)
4/11 H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
4/11 H Con Res 95 Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211)
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)
11/21 S 1156 Department of Veterans Affairs Improvement Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (423 - 2)
11/18 HR 2754 Energy and Water Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (387 - 36)
4/10 S 151 Enhance AMBER Alert bill Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 25)
11/21 HR 1904 Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 140)
9/24 HR 2555 Homeland Security Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (417 - 8)
11/20 HR 2417 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 Conference Report Adopted - House (264 - 163)
10/30 HR 2691 Interior Department Appropriations, FY 2004 bill Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 205)
10/21 S 3 Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34)
10/02 S 3 Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 142)
11/22 S 877 Reduction of SPAM bill Bill Passed - House (392 - 5)
9/24 HR 2658 Terrorism Information Awareness bill Conference Report Adopted - House (407 - 15)
1/08 S 23 Unemployment Benefits bill Bill Passed - House (416 - 4)
7/14 HR 2673 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Bill Passed - House (347 - 64)
7/25 HR 2859 Emergency Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act,2003 Bill Passed - House (352 - 60)
7/25 HR 2861 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
6/27 HR 1 Medicare Prescription Drug bill Bill Passed - House (216 - 215)
6/03 H J Res 4 Flag Burning Resolution Bill Passed - House (300 - 125)
9/09 HR 2989 Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill Passed - House (381 - 39)
9/25 HR 3161 Do-Not-Call-Registry bill Bill Passed - House (412 - 8)
2/13 HR 4 Welfare Reform bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 192)

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