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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |