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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 19, 1995 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| Oct. 19, 1995 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| Sept. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 14) |
| Sept. 14, 1995 | National | S Amdt 2478 | Naturalized Citizen Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
| Sept. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| Sept. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| Aug. 10, 1995 | National | S Amdt 2401 | Space-Based Laser Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 41) |
| July 26, 1995 | National | S 21 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Self-Defense Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
| July 21, 1995 | National | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 10) |
| June 7, 1995 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| June 7, 1995 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| June 6, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| Dec. 1, 1994 | National | HR 5110 | Uruguay Round Agreements Act | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 24) |
| Dec. 1, 1994 | National | HR 5110 | Uruguay Round Agreements Act | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 24) |
| Sept. 13, 1994 | National | S 2182 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 18) |
| Sept. 13, 1994 | National | S 2182 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 18) |
| Aug. 11, 1994 | National | HR 4650 | Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 14) |
| Aug. 11, 1994 | National | HR 4650 | Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 14) |
| Aug. 10, 1994 | National | HR 4426 | Foreign Operations FY95 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 12) |
| Aug. 10, 1994 | National | HR 4453 | Military Construction FY95 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 5) |
| Aug. 10, 1994 | National | HR 4426 | Foreign Operations FY95 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 12) |
| July 15, 1994 | National | HR 4453 | Military Construction FY95 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 2) |
| July 15, 1994 | National | HR 4426 | Foreign Operations FY95 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 9) |
| July 15, 1994 | National | HR 4426 | Foreign Operations FY95 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 9) |
| July 14, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2245 | Military Operations in Haiti Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 42) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/19 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 10/19 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 9/22 | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 14) |
| 9/14 | S Amdt 2478 | Naturalized Citizen Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
| 9/06 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| 9/06 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| 8/10 | S Amdt 2401 | Space-Based Laser Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 7/26 | S 21 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Self-Defense Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
| 7/21 | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 10) |
| 6/07 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 6/07 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| 12/01 | HR 5110 | Uruguay Round Agreements Act | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 24) |
| 12/01 | HR 5110 | Uruguay Round Agreements Act | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 24) |
| 9/13 | S 2182 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 18) |
| 9/13 | S 2182 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 18) |
| 8/11 | HR 4650 | Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 14) |
| 8/11 | HR 4650 | Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 14) |
| 8/10 | HR 4426 | Foreign Operations FY95 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 12) |
| 8/10 | HR 4453 | Military Construction FY95 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 5) |
| 8/10 | HR 4426 | Foreign Operations FY95 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 12) |
| 7/15 | HR 4453 | Military Construction FY95 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 2) |
| 7/15 | HR 4426 | Foreign Operations FY95 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 9) |
| 7/15 | HR 4426 | Foreign Operations FY95 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 9) |
| 7/14 | S Amdt 2245 | Military Operations in Haiti Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 42) |