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
May 1, 1996 National S 641 Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4)
April 30, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188)
April 30, 1996 National S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
April 25, 1996 National S Amdt 3670 Foreign Student Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47)
April 25, 1996 National S Amdt 3669 Foreign Student Public Education Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46)
April 18, 1996 National S Amdt 3677 Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
April 18, 1996 National S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133)
April 17, 1996 National S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8)
March 28, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44)
March 22, 1996 National HR 125 Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (239 - 173)
March 21, 1996 National S 1459 Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47)
March 21, 1996 National HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Bill Passed - House (333 - 87)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 974 Immigrant English Proficiency Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (210 - 207)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 969 Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163)
March 12, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172)
March 7, 1996 National H Amdt 947 Lobby Disclosure Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (211 - 209)
March 6, 1996 National HR 927 Cuba Sanctions Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (336 - 86)
March 5, 1996 National HR 927 Cuba Sanctions Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 22)
Jan. 26, 1996 National Treaty Doc. 103-1 The START II Treaty Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (87 - 4)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/01 S 641 Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4)
4/30 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188)
4/30 S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
4/25 S Amdt 3670 Foreign Student Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47)
4/25 S Amdt 3669 Foreign Student Public Education Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46)
4/18 S Amdt 3677 Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
4/18 S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133)
4/17 S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8)
3/28 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44)
3/22 HR 125 Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (239 - 173)
3/21 S 1459 Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47)
3/21 HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Bill Passed - House (333 - 87)
3/20 H Amdt 974 Immigrant English Proficiency Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (210 - 207)
3/20 H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
3/20 H Amdt 969 Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163)
3/12 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172)
3/07 H Amdt 947 Lobby Disclosure Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (211 - 209)
3/06 HR 927 Cuba Sanctions Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (336 - 86)
3/05 HR 927 Cuba Sanctions Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 22)
1/26 Treaty Doc. 103-1 The START II Treaty Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (87 - 4)

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