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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2647 | PLA Monitoring bill | Bill Passed - House (408 - 10) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2647 | PLA Monitoring bill | Bill Passed - House (408 - 10) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 2386 | U.S.-Taiwan Missile Defense Cooperation bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 116) |
| Nov. 5, 1997 | National | HR 2358 | China Political Freedom bill | Bill Passed - House (416 - 5) |
| Nov. 4, 1997 | National | HR 2644 | United States-Caribbean Trade Partnership Act | Bill Failed - House (182 - 234) |
| Oct. 28, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| 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 - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 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 - House (356 - 65) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | HR 2159 | Foreign Operations FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 49) |
| July 29, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| July 29, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| July 29, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| July 22, 1997 | National | H Res 175 | Republic of Congo Elections | Resolution Failed - House (279 - 147) |
| July 17, 1997 | National | S Amdt 890 | Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/07 | HR 2647 | PLA Monitoring bill | Bill Passed - House (408 - 10) |
| 11/07 | HR 2647 | PLA Monitoring bill | Bill Passed - House (408 - 10) |
| 11/06 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 11/06 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 11/06 | HR 2386 | U.S.-Taiwan Missile Defense Cooperation bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 116) |
| 11/05 | HR 2358 | China Political Freedom bill | Bill Passed - House (416 - 5) |
| 11/04 | HR 2644 | United States-Caribbean Trade Partnership Act | Bill Failed - House (182 - 234) |
| 10/28 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| 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 - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 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 - House (356 - 65) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| 9/04 | HR 2159 | Foreign Operations FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 49) |
| 7/29 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| 7/29 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| 7/29 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| 7/22 | H Res 175 | Republic of Congo Elections | Resolution Failed - House (279 - 147) |
| 7/17 | S Amdt 890 | Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77) |
| 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) |