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 16, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195)
May 2, 1996 National S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
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 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25)
April 25, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
April 17, 1996 National HR 842 Truth in Budgeting Act Bill Passed - House (284 - 143)
March 28, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
March 19, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21)
March 12, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172)
March 7, 1996 National H Amdt 946 Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222)
March 7, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - House (209 - 206)
Feb. 7, 1996 National S 1541 Farm Bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
Jan. 4, 1996 National HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/16 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195)
5/02 S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
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 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25)
4/25 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
4/17 HR 842 Truth in Budgeting Act Bill Passed - House (284 - 143)
3/28 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44)
3/20 H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
3/19 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21)
3/12 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172)
3/07 H Amdt 946 Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222)
3/07 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - House (209 - 206)
2/07 S 1541 Farm Bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
1/04 HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)

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