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
May 22, 1998 National HR 2709 Iran Missile Sanctions bill Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 4)
May 18, 1998 National S Amdt 2417 U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
May 18, 1998 National S 1723 Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
April 30, 1998 National HR 3579 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
April 30, 1998 National HR 3579 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
April 28, 1998 National HR 1757 State Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
April 28, 1998 National HR 1757 State Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
March 13, 1998 National S Con Res 78 Saddam Hussein War Crime Prosecution bill Resolution Passed - Senate (93 - 0)
Feb. 25, 1998 National HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
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)
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)
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 19, 1997 National S Amdt 416 Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
April 24, 1997 National S Res 75 Chemical Weapons Convention bill Resolution Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
April 17, 1997 National S 495 Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44)
March 20, 1997 National S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
March 20, 1997 National S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
Sept. 10, 1996 National HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26)
Sept. 10, 1996 National HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26)
June 19, 1996 National S Amdt 4059 Overseas Abortion Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 51)
May 2, 1996 National S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/22 HR 2709 Iran Missile Sanctions bill Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 4)
5/18 S Amdt 2417 U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
5/18 S 1723 Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
4/30 HR 3579 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
4/30 HR 3579 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
4/28 HR 1757 State Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
4/28 HR 1757 State Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
3/13 S Con Res 78 Saddam Hussein War Crime Prosecution bill Resolution Passed - Senate (93 - 0)
2/25 HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
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)
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)
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)
6/19 S Amdt 416 Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
4/24 S Res 75 Chemical Weapons Convention bill Resolution Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
4/17 S 495 Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44)
3/20 S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
3/20 S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
9/10 HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26)
9/10 HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26)
6/19 S Amdt 4059 Overseas Abortion Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 51)
5/02 S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)

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