Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
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)

arrow_upward