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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 30, 1999 | National | HR 2436 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 172) |
| July 29, 1999 | National | H Amdt 360 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (221 - 208) |
| July 14, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
| Oct. 8, 1998 | National | H Amdt 923 | Contraceptive Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 200) |
| July 16, 1998 | National | H Amdt 728 | Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198) |
| Sept. 9, 1997 | National | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
| June 19, 1997 | National | H Amdt 187 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
| April 30, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| March 22, 1994 | National | H Amdt 488 | Optional Abstinence Emphasis Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (262 - 166) |
| Feb. 8, 1994 | National | S Amdt 1390 | Contraceptives Distribution Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59) |
| Nov. 18, 1993 | National | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |
| March 25, 1993 | National | HR 670 | Abortion Counseling Bill | Motion Rejected - House (179 - 243) |
| March 25, 1993 | National | HR 670 | Abortion Counseling Bill | Bill Passed - House (273 - 149) |
| March 11, 1993 | National | HR 4 | Fetal Tissue Research Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 131) |
| April 2, 1992 | National | S Amdt 1757 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Human Sexual Behavior Surveys | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/30 | HR 2436 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 172) |
| 7/29 | H Amdt 360 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (221 - 208) |
| 7/14 | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
| 10/08 | H Amdt 923 | Contraceptive Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 200) |
| 7/16 | H Amdt 728 | Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198) |
| 9/09 | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
| 6/19 | H Amdt 187 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
| 4/30 | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 3/22 | H Amdt 488 | Optional Abstinence Emphasis Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (262 - 166) |
| 2/08 | S Amdt 1390 | Contraceptives Distribution Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59) |
| 11/18 | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |
| 3/25 | HR 670 | Abortion Counseling Bill | Motion Rejected - House (179 - 243) |
| 3/25 | HR 670 | Abortion Counseling Bill | Bill Passed - House (273 - 149) |
| 3/11 | HR 4 | Fetal Tissue Research Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 131) |
| 4/02 | S Amdt 1757 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Human Sexual Behavior Surveys | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |