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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
| May 1, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
| May 1, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3780 | Asylum Seeker Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| April 30, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| April 17, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | S 1459 | Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47) |
| Feb. 1, 1996 | National | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 5) |
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
| Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
| Sept. 19, 1995 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| Sept. 14, 1995 | National | S Amdt 2478 | Naturalized Citizen Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
| June 15, 1995 | National | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| June 7, 1995 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| June 6, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| Sept. 28, 1994 | National | HR 4602 | Interior Department FY95 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7) |
| Sept. 28, 1994 | National | HR 4602 | Interior Department FY95 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7) |
| Aug. 25, 1994 | National | HR 3355 | Omnibus Crime Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| July 27, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2416 | Voluntary Prayer Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| July 25, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2396 | Prohibition of Funds to National Endowments for the Arts for Certain Projects | Amendment Tabled - Senate (49 - 42) |
| July 20, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2320 | Department of Agriculture Homosexual Policy Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 41) |
| May 12, 1994 | National | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| May 12, 1994 | National | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/02 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
| 5/01 | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
| 5/01 | S Amdt 3780 | Asylum Seeker Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 4/30 | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 4/25 | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 4/17 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 3/21 | S 1459 | Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47) |
| 2/01 | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 5) |
| 12/22 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 12/14 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 12/14 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 9/19 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
| 9/14 | S Amdt 2478 | Naturalized Citizen Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
| 6/15 | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 6/07 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| 9/28 | HR 4602 | Interior Department FY95 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7) |
| 9/28 | HR 4602 | Interior Department FY95 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7) |
| 8/25 | HR 3355 | Omnibus Crime Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 7/27 | S Amdt 2416 | Voluntary Prayer Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 7/25 | S Amdt 2396 | Prohibition of Funds to National Endowments for the Arts for Certain Projects | Amendment Tabled - Senate (49 - 42) |
| 7/20 | S Amdt 2320 | Department of Agriculture Homosexual Policy Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 41) |
| 5/12 | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 5/12 | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |