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
Oct. 3, 1996 National HR 3539 Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
Sept. 27, 1996 National HR 3539 Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198)
Sept. 25, 1996 National HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123)
Sept. 24, 1996 National HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25)
Sept. 17, 1996 National S Amdt 5353 Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 123 English as the National Language Bill Passed - House (259 - 169)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 123 English as the National Language Bill Passed - House (259 - 169)
July 31, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101)
July 23, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
July 18, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (256 - 170)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1265 School Improvement Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1264 Education and Training Programs Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1273 Drug Price Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242)
June 26, 1996 National HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (269 - 147)
June 20, 1996 National H Amdt 1190 Tribal Land Trust Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206)
May 15, 1996 National H Amdt 1058 Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171)
May 15, 1996 National H Amdt 1057 Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220)
May 7, 1996 National HR 2137 Megan's Law Bill Passed - House (418 - 0)
May 2, 1996 National S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
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)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/03 HR 3539 Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
9/27 HR 3539 Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198)
9/25 HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123)
9/24 HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25)
9/17 S Amdt 5353 Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
8/01 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
8/01 HR 123 English as the National Language Bill Passed - House (259 - 169)
8/01 HR 123 English as the National Language Bill Passed - House (259 - 169)
7/31 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101)
7/23 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
7/18 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (256 - 170)
7/11 H Amdt 1265 School Improvement Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129)
7/11 H Amdt 1264 Education and Training Programs Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227)
7/11 H Amdt 1273 Drug Price Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242)
6/26 HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (269 - 147)
6/20 H Amdt 1190 Tribal Land Trust Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206)
5/15 H Amdt 1058 Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171)
5/15 H Amdt 1057 Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220)
5/07 HR 2137 Megan's Law Bill Passed - House (418 - 0)
5/02 S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
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)

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