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
April 30, 1996 National S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
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 23, 1996 National S J Res 21 Term Limits bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
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 29, 1996 National HR 956 Product Liability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158)
March 27, 1996 National S 4 Line-Item Veto bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31)
March 21, 1996 National HR 956 Product Liability bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40)
March 21, 1996 National HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Bill Passed - House (333 - 87)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
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 7, 1996 National H Amdt 946 Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222)
Feb. 7, 1996 National S 1541 Farm Bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
Jan. 26, 1996 National S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34)
Jan. 24, 1996 National S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129)
Jan. 4, 1996 National HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)
Jan. 3, 1996 National HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/30 S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
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)
4/23 S J Res 21 Term Limits bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
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)
3/29 HR 956 Product Liability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158)
3/27 S 4 Line-Item Veto bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31)
3/21 HR 956 Product Liability bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40)
3/21 HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Bill Passed - House (333 - 87)
3/20 H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
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)
3/07 H Amdt 946 Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222)
2/07 S 1541 Farm Bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
1/26 S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34)
1/24 S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129)
1/04 HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)
1/03 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156)

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