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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2168 | Tobacco Immunity Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
| Feb. 25, 1998 | National | H Amdt 497 | Death Sentence Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300) |
| Nov. 13, 1997 | National | H Res 301 | Broadcast of Committee Witness bill | Resolution Passed - House (241 - 165) |
| Oct. 22, 1997 | National | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| Oct. 8, 1997 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| May 20, 1997 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 36) |
| March 20, 1997 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Bill Passed - House (295 - 136) |
| May 9, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
| May 7, 1996 | National | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
| March 29, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| March 14, 1996 | National | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Dec. 20, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| Dec. 5, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| June 28, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| May 10, 1995 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| March 8, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (325 - 99) |
| July 29, 1994 | National | PN 1399 | Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (87 - 9) |
| June 29, 1994 | National | S 687 | Product Liability Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41) |
| Feb. 10, 1994 | National | H Amdt 436 | Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188) |
| Nov. 18, 1993 | National | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |
| Aug. 3, 1993 | National | PN 422 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (96 - 3) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/31 | S Amdt 2168 | Tobacco Immunity Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
| 2/25 | H Amdt 497 | Death Sentence Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300) |
| 11/13 | H Res 301 | Broadcast of Committee Witness bill | Resolution Passed - House (241 - 165) |
| 10/22 | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| 10/08 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| 5/20 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 36) |
| 3/20 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Bill Passed - House (295 - 136) |
| 5/09 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
| 5/07 | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
| 3/29 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
| 3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 3/14 | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| 12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 12/20 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| 12/06 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| 12/05 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| 6/28 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 5/10 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 3/08 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (325 - 99) |
| 7/29 | PN 1399 | Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (87 - 9) |
| 6/29 | S 687 | Product Liability Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 2/10 | H Amdt 436 | Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188) |
| 11/18 | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |
| 8/03 | PN 422 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (96 - 3) |