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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 26, 2001 | National | HR 1954 | Iran and Libya Sanctions | Bill Passed - House (409 - 6) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 687 | Social Security and Medicare Solvency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 208) |
| April 6, 2000 | National | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
| March 22, 2000 | National | S 1287 | Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act | Bill Passed - House (253 - 167) |
| Feb. 10, 2000 | National | S 1287 | Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| Oct. 13, 1999 | National | Treaty Doc. 105-28 | Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty | Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Sept. 28, 1999 | National | HR 2605 | Energy FY2000 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 3) |
| Sept. 27, 1999 | National | HR 2605 | Energy FY2000 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 87) |
| July 27, 1999 | National | HR 2605 | Energy FY2000 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (420 - 8) |
| Sept. 28, 1998 | National | HR 4060 | Energy FY99 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (389 - 25) |
| Sept. 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3506 | Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 44) |
| June 22, 1998 | National | HR 4060 | Energy FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (405 - 4) |
| Oct. 30, 1997 | National | HR 1270 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - House (307 - 120) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| April 15, 1997 | National | S 104 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| Sept. 17, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| Sept. 12, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29) |
| July 31, 1996 | National | S 1936 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| July 25, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1359 | Energy Research Appropriation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211) |
| July 25, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1360 | Renewable Energy Research Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135) |
| May 21, 1996 | National | HR 3415 | Repeal Gas Tax bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 108) |
| Aug. 10, 1994 | National | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (393 - 34) |
| Aug. 3, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2446 | Ethanol Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 50) |
| June 30, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2127 | Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor Termination Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 46) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/26 | HR 1954 | Iran and Libya Sanctions | Bill Passed - House (409 - 6) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 687 | Social Security and Medicare Solvency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 208) |
| 4/06 | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 3/22 | S 1287 | Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act | Bill Passed - House (253 - 167) |
| 2/10 | S 1287 | Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| 10/13 | Treaty Doc. 105-28 | Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty | Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 9/28 | HR 2605 | Energy FY2000 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 3) |
| 9/27 | HR 2605 | Energy FY2000 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 87) |
| 7/27 | HR 2605 | Energy FY2000 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (420 - 8) |
| 9/28 | HR 4060 | Energy FY99 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (389 - 25) |
| 9/01 | S Amdt 3506 | Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 44) |
| 6/22 | HR 4060 | Energy FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (405 - 4) |
| 10/30 | HR 1270 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - House (307 - 120) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 4/15 | S 104 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| 9/17 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| 9/12 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29) |
| 7/31 | S 1936 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 7/25 | H Amdt 1359 | Energy Research Appropriation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211) |
| 7/25 | H Amdt 1360 | Renewable Energy Research Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135) |
| 5/21 | HR 3415 | Repeal Gas Tax bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 108) |
| 8/10 | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (393 - 34) |
| 8/03 | S Amdt 2446 | Ethanol Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 6/30 | S Amdt 2127 | Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor Termination Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 46) |