Key Votes

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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
Oct. 8, 1998 National H Amdt 923 Contraceptive Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 200)
Sept. 26, 1998 National HR 4579 Tax Cut bill Bill Passed - House (229 - 195)
Sept. 15, 1998 National S 2073 Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act Bill Passed - House (280 - 126)
Aug. 7, 1998 National H Amdt 871 Adoption Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192)
Aug. 6, 1998 National H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208)
July 29, 1998 National S Amdt 3359 Married Tax Filing Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (48 - 51)
July 15, 1998 National HR 3682 Child Custody Protection Act Bill Passed - House (276 - 150)
July 15, 1998 National HR 3682 Child Custody Protection Act Bill Passed - House (276 - 150)
June 24, 1998 National HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36)
June 18, 1998 National HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197)
April 23, 1998 National HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
Oct. 23, 1997 National HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 198)
Sept. 9, 1997 National H Amdt 335 Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201)
Sept. 4, 1997 National H Amdt 318 International Family Planning amendment Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191)
June 26, 1997 National S Amdt 527 Family Tax Relief Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61)
Feb. 13, 1997 National HR 581 Population Planning Bill Bill Passed - House (231 - 194)
Sept. 10, 1996 National HR 3396 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
July 31, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101)
July 30, 1996 National HR 2391 Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (225 - 195)
July 23, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
July 18, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (256 - 170)
July 12, 1996 National H Amdt 1280 Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193)
July 12, 1996 National H Amdt 1280 Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193)
July 12, 1996 National H Amdt 1286 Definition of Marriage Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/08 H Amdt 923 Contraceptive Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 200)
9/26 HR 4579 Tax Cut bill Bill Passed - House (229 - 195)
9/15 S 2073 Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act Bill Passed - House (280 - 126)
8/07 H Amdt 871 Adoption Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192)
8/06 H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208)
7/29 S Amdt 3359 Married Tax Filing Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (48 - 51)
7/15 HR 3682 Child Custody Protection Act Bill Passed - House (276 - 150)
7/15 HR 3682 Child Custody Protection Act Bill Passed - House (276 - 150)
6/24 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36)
6/18 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197)
4/23 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
10/23 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 198)
9/09 H Amdt 335 Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201)
9/04 H Amdt 318 International Family Planning amendment Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191)
6/26 S Amdt 527 Family Tax Relief Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61)
2/13 HR 581 Population Planning Bill Bill Passed - House (231 - 194)
9/10 HR 3396 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
8/01 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
7/31 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101)
7/30 HR 2391 Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (225 - 195)
7/23 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
7/18 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (256 - 170)
7/12 H Amdt 1280 Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193)
7/12 H Amdt 1280 Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193)
7/12 H Amdt 1286 Definition of Marriage Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311)

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