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
Sept. 24, 1997 National S 830 Prescription Drug bill Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
Sept. 11, 1997 National H Amdt 347 Needle Exchange Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 158)
Sept. 9, 1997 National H Amdt 335 Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201)
Sept. 4, 1997 National H Amdt 318 International Family Planning amendment Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191)
July 22, 1997 National S Amdt 936 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
June 25, 1997 National S Amdt 468 Private Contracts Amendment Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35)
June 25, 1997 National S 947 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27)
June 25, 1997 National S 947 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27)
June 19, 1997 National H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
April 16, 1997 National HR 1003 Assisted Suicide Bill Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
April 15, 1997 National S Amdt 31 Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
April 15, 1997 National S 104 Nuclear Waste Disposal bill Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
April 10, 1997 National HR 1003 Assisted Suicide Bill Bill Passed - House (398 - 16)
March 20, 1997 National S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
Sept. 17, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
Sept. 12, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2)
July 12, 1996 National H Amdt 1280 Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1276 Human Embryo Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1273 Drug Price Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242)
June 20, 1996 National H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
May 1, 1996 National S 641 Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4)
April 18, 1996 National S Amdt 3677 Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
March 28, 1996 National HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Bill Passed - House (267 - 151)
Feb. 29, 1996 National H Amdt 936 Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37)
Feb. 29, 1996 National H Amdt 941 Florida Everglades Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124)
Nov. 1, 1995 National H Amdt 890 Domestic Partners Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 172)
Oct. 19, 1995 National HR 2425 Medicare Preservation Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (231 - 201)
July 27, 1995 National S 641 Ryan White CARE Reauthorization Act of 1995 Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3)
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)
May 16, 1995 National HR 961 Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and Management Act Bill Passed - House (240 - 185)
Feb. 28, 1995 National HR 1022 Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (286 - 141)
Feb. 28, 1995 National HR 1022 Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (286 - 141)
Aug. 10, 1994 National HR 4506 Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (393 - 34)
July 12, 1994 National H Amdt 725 East Mojave National Preserve Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 183)
June 30, 1994 National HR 4506 Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8)
June 14, 1994 National HR 4506 Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development Bill Passed - House (393 - 29)
March 22, 1994 National H Amdt 488 Optional Abstinence Emphasis Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (262 - 166)
March 9, 1994 National H Amdt 462 Tobacco Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (353 - 70)
Feb. 8, 1994 National S Amdt 1390 Contraceptives Distribution Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59)
Nov. 22, 1993 National H Amdt 416 Penny Amendment to the Government Reform and Savings Act of 1993 Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219)
Nov. 18, 1993 National HR 796 Abortion Clinic Access Bill Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246)
Nov. 9, 1993 National HR 2520 Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9)
Oct. 19, 1993 National HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Conference Report Adopted - House (341 - 89)
Oct. 18, 1993 National HR 2518 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/24 S 830 Prescription Drug bill Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
9/11 H Amdt 347 Needle Exchange Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 158)
9/09 H Amdt 335 Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201)
9/04 H Amdt 318 International Family Planning amendment Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191)
7/22 S Amdt 936 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
6/25 S Amdt 468 Private Contracts Amendment Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35)
6/25 S 947 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27)
6/25 S 947 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27)
6/19 H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
4/16 HR 1003 Assisted Suicide Bill Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
4/15 S Amdt 31 Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
4/15 S 104 Nuclear Waste Disposal bill Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
4/10 HR 1003 Assisted Suicide Bill Bill Passed - House (398 - 16)
3/20 S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
9/17 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
9/12 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
8/02 HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
8/01 HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2)
7/12 H Amdt 1280 Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193)
7/11 H Amdt 1276 Human Embryo Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256)
7/11 H Amdt 1273 Drug Price Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242)
6/20 H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
5/01 S 641 Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4)
4/18 S Amdt 3677 Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
3/28 HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Bill Passed - House (267 - 151)
2/29 H Amdt 936 Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37)
2/29 H Amdt 941 Florida Everglades Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124)
11/01 H Amdt 890 Domestic Partners Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 172)
10/19 HR 2425 Medicare Preservation Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (231 - 201)
7/27 S 641 Ryan White CARE Reauthorization Act of 1995 Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3)
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)
5/16 HR 961 Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and Management Act Bill Passed - House (240 - 185)
2/28 HR 1022 Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (286 - 141)
2/28 HR 1022 Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (286 - 141)
8/10 HR 4506 Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (393 - 34)
7/12 H Amdt 725 East Mojave National Preserve Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 183)
6/30 HR 4506 Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8)
6/14 HR 4506 Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development Bill Passed - House (393 - 29)
3/22 H Amdt 488 Optional Abstinence Emphasis Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (262 - 166)
3/09 H Amdt 462 Tobacco Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (353 - 70)
2/08 S Amdt 1390 Contraceptives Distribution Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59)
11/22 H Amdt 416 Penny Amendment to the Government Reform and Savings Act of 1993 Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219)
11/18 HR 796 Abortion Clinic Access Bill Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246)
11/09 HR 2520 Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9)
10/19 HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Conference Report Adopted - House (341 - 89)
10/18 HR 2518 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15)

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