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 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
| July 20, 1998 | National | H Amdt 744 | Labor Political Activity Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (150 - 248) |
| May 18, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | H Amdt 548 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 225) |
| March 30, 1998 | National | HR 3581 | Campaign Finance Reform bill | Bill Failed - House (74 - 337) |
| March 26, 1998 | National | HR 3246 | Small Business and Employee Fairness bill | Bill Passed - House (202 - 200) |
| March 26, 1998 | National | HR 3246 | Small Business and Employee Fairness bill | Bill Passed - House (202 - 200) |
| March 6, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| March 19, 1997 | National | HR 1 | Compensatory Time Bill | Bill Passed - House (222 - 210) |
| Oct. 3, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| Sept. 27, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2) |
| July 30, 1996 | National | HR 2391 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 195) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1278 | Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| July 9, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4435 | Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/23 | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 7/20 | H Amdt 744 | Labor Political Activity Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (150 - 248) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 4/01 | H Amdt 548 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 225) |
| 3/30 | HR 3581 | Campaign Finance Reform bill | Bill Failed - House (74 - 337) |
| 3/26 | HR 3246 | Small Business and Employee Fairness bill | Bill Passed - House (202 - 200) |
| 3/26 | HR 3246 | Small Business and Employee Fairness bill | Bill Passed - House (202 - 200) |
| 3/06 | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 11/07 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| 3/19 | HR 1 | Compensatory Time Bill | Bill Passed - House (222 - 210) |
| 10/03 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 9/27 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| 9/10 | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 8/02 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| 8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72) |
| 8/01 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2) |
| 7/30 | HR 2391 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 195) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1278 | Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220) |
| 7/10 | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 7/10 | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 7/10 | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 7/10 | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 4435 | Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |