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.


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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)

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