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
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132)
June 19, 1996 National S Amdt 4059 Overseas Abortion Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 51)
May 15, 1996 National HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Bill Passed - House (272 - 153)
Jan. 26, 1996 National S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34)
Jan. 24, 1996 National S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129)
Jan. 3, 1996 National HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156)
Dec. 19, 1995 National HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 43)
Dec. 15, 1995 National HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - House (267 - 149)
Dec. 13, 1995 National S J Res 44 Deployment of US Armed Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (69 - 30)
Sept. 7, 1995 National H Amdt 752 Overseas Military Abortions Amendment Adopted - House (226 - 191)
Sept. 6, 1995 National HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34)
June 15, 1995 National HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Bill Passed - House (300 - 126)
May 24, 1995 National H Amdt 403 Foreign Abortion Ban Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 181)
Sept. 29, 1994 National HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 86)
Sept. 13, 1994 National S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 18)
Aug. 17, 1994 National S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 137)
Aug. 11, 1994 National HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 14)
June 29, 1994 National HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (330 - 91)
May 23, 1994 National H Amdt 570 Ending Requirement for Selective Service Registration Amendment Rejected - House (125 - 273)
April 19, 1994 National PN 1210 Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Retiring Nomination Confirmed - Senate (54 - 43)
Nov. 10, 1993 National HR 3116 Defense Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 9)
Oct. 21, 1993 National S Amdt 1072 Restriction of Funding for Haiti Operations Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 81)
Oct. 15, 1993 National S Amdt 1043 Ending Military Operations in Somalia Amendment Tabled - Senate (61 - 38)
Sept. 30, 1993 National HR 3116 Defense Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (325 - 102)
Sept. 29, 1993 National H Amdt 318 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (295 - 133)
Sept. 29, 1993 National HR 2401 Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill Bill Passed - House (268 - 162)
Sept. 9, 1993 National S Amdt 783 Homosexuals in the Military Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 63)
Sept. 9, 1993 National S Amdt 790 U.S. Policy Towards Somalia Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (90 - 7)
June 28, 1993 National H Amdt 151 Selective Service Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 207)
Feb. 4, 1993 National S Amdt 19 Homosexual Discrimination in the Military Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (62 - 37)
Feb. 4, 1993 National H Res 71 Agreeing to Family and Medical Leave Bill Resolution Passed - House (247 - 152)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/01 HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132)
6/19 S Amdt 4059 Overseas Abortion Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 51)
5/15 HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Bill Passed - House (272 - 153)
1/26 S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34)
1/24 S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129)
1/03 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156)
12/19 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 43)
12/15 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - House (267 - 149)
12/13 S J Res 44 Deployment of US Armed Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (69 - 30)
9/07 H Amdt 752 Overseas Military Abortions Amendment Adopted - House (226 - 191)
9/06 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34)
6/15 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Bill Passed - House (300 - 126)
5/24 H Amdt 403 Foreign Abortion Ban Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 181)
9/29 HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 86)
9/13 S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 18)
8/17 S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 137)
8/11 HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 14)
6/29 HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (330 - 91)
5/23 H Amdt 570 Ending Requirement for Selective Service Registration Amendment Rejected - House (125 - 273)
4/19 PN 1210 Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Retiring Nomination Confirmed - Senate (54 - 43)
11/10 HR 3116 Defense Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 9)
10/21 S Amdt 1072 Restriction of Funding for Haiti Operations Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 81)
10/15 S Amdt 1043 Ending Military Operations in Somalia Amendment Tabled - Senate (61 - 38)
9/30 HR 3116 Defense Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (325 - 102)
9/29 H Amdt 318 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (295 - 133)
9/29 HR 2401 Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill Bill Passed - House (268 - 162)
9/09 S Amdt 783 Homosexuals in the Military Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 63)
9/09 S Amdt 790 U.S. Policy Towards Somalia Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (90 - 7)
6/28 H Amdt 151 Selective Service Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 207)
2/04 S Amdt 19 Homosexual Discrimination in the Military Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (62 - 37)
2/04 H Res 71 Agreeing to Family and Medical Leave Bill Resolution Passed - House (247 - 152)

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