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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 30, 1997 | National | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 207) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| Sept. 24, 1997 | National | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (309 - 106) |
| Sept. 18, 1997 | National | H Res 168 | House Ethics Reform Task Force | Resolution Passed - House (258 - 154) |
| Sept. 17, 1997 | National | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Bill Passed - House (231 - 192) |
| July 31, 1997 | National | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (389 - 43) |
| July 29, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| July 28, 1997 | National | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 203) |
| June 12, 1997 | National | H J Res 54 | Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (310 - 114) |
| June 5, 1997 | National | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 97) |
| May 21, 1997 | National | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Resolution Passed - House (333 - 99) |
| May 16, 1997 | National | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| Feb. 12, 1997 | National | H J Res 2 | Term Limits Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (217 - 211) |
| Jan. 21, 1997 | National | H Res 31 | Ethics Report on Newt Gingrich | Resolution Passed - House (395 - 28) |
| Sept. 27, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
| July 31, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101) |
| July 22, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1309 | Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223) |
| July 18, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 170) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
| June 27, 1996 | National | H Res 468 | Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich | Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1133 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/30 | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 207) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| 9/24 | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (309 - 106) |
| 9/18 | H Res 168 | House Ethics Reform Task Force | Resolution Passed - House (258 - 154) |
| 9/17 | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Bill Passed - House (231 - 192) |
| 7/31 | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (389 - 43) |
| 7/29 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| 7/28 | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 203) |
| 6/12 | H J Res 54 | Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (310 - 114) |
| 6/05 | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 97) |
| 5/21 | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Resolution Passed - House (333 - 99) |
| 5/16 | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| 2/12 | H J Res 2 | Term Limits Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (217 - 211) |
| 1/21 | H Res 31 | Ethics Report on Newt Gingrich | Resolution Passed - House (395 - 28) |
| 9/27 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| 8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
| 8/01 | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
| 7/31 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101) |
| 7/22 | H Amdt 1309 | Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223) |
| 7/18 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 170) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
| 7/12 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
| 6/27 | H Res 468 | Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich | Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| 6/06 | H Amdt 1133 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |