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. 11, 1997 | National | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| July 31, 1997 | National | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| June 5, 1997 | National | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| May 23, 1997 | National | S Amdt 357 | Violent Crime Victims Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| May 23, 1997 | National | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22) |
| April 30, 1997 | National | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
| Oct. 3, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| July 23, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
| April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
| March 27, 1996 | National | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Dec. 12, 1995 | National | S J Res 31 | Flag Desecration | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| Nov. 15, 1995 | National | HR 2020 | Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35) |
| Sept. 19, 1995 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| July 11, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1497 | Small Business Impact Analysis | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| July 10, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1491 | Small Business Impact Analyses | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
| June 22, 1995 | National | PN 245 | Henry W. Foster Jr., Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 43) |
| June 21, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1446 | Drinking and Driving Minors Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 36) |
| May 10, 1995 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/11 | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 7/31 | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| 6/05 | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 5/23 | S Amdt 357 | Violent Crime Victims Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 5/23 | H Con Res 84 | Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 | Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22) |
| 4/30 | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
| 10/03 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 9/10 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| 8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| 8/01 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 7/23 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 6/06 | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 4/23 | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
| 4/23 | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
| 3/27 | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| 3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 12/22 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 12/12 | S J Res 31 | Flag Desecration | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| 11/15 | HR 2020 | Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35) |
| 9/19 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| 7/11 | S Amdt 1497 | Small Business Impact Analysis | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 7/10 | S Amdt 1491 | Small Business Impact Analyses | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
| 6/22 | PN 245 | Henry W. Foster Jr., Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 43) |
| 6/21 | S Amdt 1446 | Drinking and Driving Minors Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 36) |
| 5/10 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |