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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2000 | National | HR 701 | Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 102) |
| 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) |
| March 27, 1998 | National | H Amdt 542 | Road Construction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (200 - 187) |
| March 27, 1998 | National | HR 2515 | Forest Recovery and Protection bill | Bill Failed - House (181 - 201) |
| April 15, 1997 | National | S Amdt 31 | Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 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) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1183 | Forest Service Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211) |
| Feb. 29, 1996 | National | H Amdt 936 | Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37) |
| Feb. 29, 1996 | National | H Amdt 941 | Florida Everglades Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124) |
| May 16, 1995 | National | HR 961 | Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and Management Act | Bill Passed - House (240 - 185) |
| Feb. 28, 1995 | National | HR 1022 | Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (286 - 141) |
| Aug. 10, 1994 | National | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (393 - 34) |
| July 12, 1994 | National | H Amdt 725 | East Mojave National Preserve Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 183) |
| June 30, 1994 | National | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| June 14, 1994 | National | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Bill Passed - House (393 - 29) |
| Nov. 9, 1993 | National | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9) |
| Oct. 19, 1993 | National | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Conference Report Adopted - House (341 - 89) |
| Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2401 | Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (268 - 162) |
| Sept. 22, 1993 | National | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40) |
| Aug. 6, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 152) |
| Aug. 3, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
| July 28, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - House (275 - 152) |
| July 15, 1993 | National | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 138) |
| June 29, 1993 | National | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - House (313 - 110) |
| May 4, 1993 | National | S 171 | Department of the Environment Act | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/11 | HR 701 | Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 102) |
| 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) |
| 3/27 | H Amdt 542 | Road Construction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (200 - 187) |
| 3/27 | HR 2515 | Forest Recovery and Protection bill | Bill Failed - House (181 - 201) |
| 4/15 | S Amdt 31 | Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 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) |
| 8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| 8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1183 | Forest Service Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211) |
| 2/29 | H Amdt 936 | Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37) |
| 2/29 | H Amdt 941 | Florida Everglades Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124) |
| 5/16 | HR 961 | Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and Management Act | Bill Passed - House (240 - 185) |
| 2/28 | HR 1022 | Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (286 - 141) |
| 8/10 | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (393 - 34) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 725 | East Mojave National Preserve Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 183) |
| 6/30 | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 6/14 | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Bill Passed - House (393 - 29) |
| 11/09 | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9) |
| 10/19 | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Conference Report Adopted - House (341 - 89) |
| 9/29 | HR 2401 | Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (268 - 162) |
| 9/22 | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| 9/08 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40) |
| 8/06 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 152) |
| 8/03 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 7/28 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - House (275 - 152) |
| 7/15 | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 138) |
| 6/29 | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - House (313 - 110) |
| 5/04 | S 171 | Department of the Environment Act | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 15) |