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
June 29, 2000 National S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
June 22, 2000 National S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
April 1, 1998 National S Amdt 2209 Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
April 1, 1998 National S Amdt 2169 Medicare Choices Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47)
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)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
July 9, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
Dec. 6, 1995 National HR 660 Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3)
Oct. 18, 1993 National HR 2518 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15)
Sept. 29, 1993 National HR 2518 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17)
Sept. 8, 1993 National HR 2010 National Service Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40)
Aug. 3, 1993 National HR 2010 National Service Bill Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/29 S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
6/22 S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
4/01 S Amdt 2209 Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
4/01 S Amdt 2169 Medicare Choices Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47)
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)
8/02 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
7/09 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
12/06 HR 660 Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3)
10/18 HR 2518 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15)
9/29 HR 2518 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17)
9/08 HR 2010 National Service Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40)
8/03 HR 2010 National Service Bill Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41)

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