Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
July 29, 1999 National H Amdt 360 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (221 - 208)
June 9, 1999 National H Amdt 156 Overseas Military Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 225)
June 8, 1999 National H Amdt 142 Prohibition of Chemically Induced Abortion Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (217 - 214)
May 26, 1999 National S Amdt 397 Overseas Military Abortions Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49)
Oct. 8, 1998 National H Amdt 923 Contraceptive Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 200)
Sept. 18, 1998 National HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Veto Override Failed - Senate (64 - 36)
Aug. 6, 1998 National H Amdt 865 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 243)
July 23, 1998 National HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132)
July 16, 1998 National H Amdt 728 Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198)
July 15, 1998 National HR 3682 Child Custody Protection Act Bill Passed - House (276 - 150)
June 25, 1998 National S Amdt 2794 Overseas Military Hospital Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 49)
June 24, 1998 National H Amdt 705 Chemical Inducement of Abortion Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 202)
May 20, 1998 National H Amdt 643 Abortion Private Funding Restoration Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 232)
Oct. 8, 1997 National HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (296 - 132)
Sept. 9, 1997 National H Amdt 335 Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201)
Sept. 4, 1997 National S Amdt 1077 Fetal Tissue Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60)
Sept. 4, 1997 National H Amdt 318 International Family Planning amendment Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191)
July 22, 1997 National S Amdt 936 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
July 10, 1997 National S Amdt 593 Abortions at Overseas Military Facilities Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
June 19, 1997 National H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
June 19, 1997 National H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
May 20, 1997 National HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 36)
March 20, 1997 National HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Bill Passed - House (295 - 136)
Feb. 13, 1997 National HR 581 Population Planning Bill Bill Passed - House (231 - 194)
Sept. 26, 1996 National HR 1833 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Veto Override Failed - Senate (58 - 40)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/29 H Amdt 360 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (221 - 208)
6/09 H Amdt 156 Overseas Military Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 225)
6/08 H Amdt 142 Prohibition of Chemically Induced Abortion Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (217 - 214)
5/26 S Amdt 397 Overseas Military Abortions Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49)
10/08 H Amdt 923 Contraceptive Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 200)
9/18 HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Veto Override Failed - Senate (64 - 36)
8/06 H Amdt 865 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 243)
7/23 HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132)
7/16 H Amdt 728 Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198)
7/15 HR 3682 Child Custody Protection Act Bill Passed - House (276 - 150)
6/25 S Amdt 2794 Overseas Military Hospital Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 49)
6/24 H Amdt 705 Chemical Inducement of Abortion Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 202)
5/20 H Amdt 643 Abortion Private Funding Restoration Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 232)
10/08 HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (296 - 132)
9/09 H Amdt 335 Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201)
9/04 S Amdt 1077 Fetal Tissue Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60)
9/04 H Amdt 318 International Family Planning amendment Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191)
7/22 S Amdt 936 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
7/10 S Amdt 593 Abortions at Overseas Military Facilities Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
6/19 H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
6/19 H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
5/20 HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 36)
3/20 HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Bill Passed - House (295 - 136)
2/13 HR 581 Population Planning Bill Bill Passed - House (231 - 194)
9/26 HR 1833 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Veto Override Failed - Senate (58 - 40)

arrow_upward