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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, 1998 | National | HR 3579 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (212 - 208) |
| March 18, 1998 | National | H Con Res 227 | Bosnia and Herzegovina U.S. Troop Removal Resolution | Resolution Failed - House (193 - 225) |
| Feb. 25, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| Feb. 5, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Bill Passed - House (352 - 64) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| Oct. 28, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| July 29, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| July 9, 1997 | National | S Amdt 771 | Base Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (304 - 120) |
| June 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 203 | Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148) |
| June 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 204 | Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231) |
| June 23, 1997 | National | H Amdt 198 | B-2 Bomber Program Termination Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216) |
| April 17, 1997 | National | S 495 | Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1167 | Spaced-based Weapons Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1164 | Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219) |
| May 15, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1058 | Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171) |
| May 15, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1057 | Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220) |
| May 15, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Bill Passed - House (272 - 153) |
| Jan. 26, 1996 | National | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/31 | HR 3579 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (212 - 208) |
| 3/18 | H Con Res 227 | Bosnia and Herzegovina U.S. Troop Removal Resolution | Resolution Failed - House (193 - 225) |
| 2/25 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 2/05 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69) |
| 11/08 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Bill Passed - House (352 - 64) |
| 11/06 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 10/28 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| 7/29 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 771 | Base Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33) |
| 6/25 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (304 - 120) |
| 6/24 | H Amdt 203 | Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148) |
| 6/24 | H Amdt 204 | Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231) |
| 6/23 | H Amdt 198 | B-2 Bomber Program Termination Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216) |
| 4/17 | S 495 | Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44) |
| 9/10 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26) |
| 8/01 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 1167 | Spaced-based Weapons Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 1164 | Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219) |
| 5/15 | H Amdt 1058 | Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171) |
| 5/15 | H Amdt 1057 | Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220) |
| 5/15 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Bill Passed - House (272 - 153) |
| 1/26 | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34) |