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:
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.
| 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. 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) |
| Sept. 17, 1996 | National | S Amdt 5353 | Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50) |
| Sept. 17, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| Sept. 12, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26) |
| 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. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3953 | Aviation Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 22) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132) |
| July 31, 1996 | National | S 1936 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| July 25, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1360 | Renewable Energy Research Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135) |
| July 25, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1359 | Energy Research Appropriation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
| 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) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1164 | Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1167 | Spaced-based Weapons Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208) |
| 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 15, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Bill Passed - House (272 - 153) |
| 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) |
| 9/24 | 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) |
| 9/17 | S Amdt 5353 | Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 9/17 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| 9/12 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29) |
| 9/10 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26) |
| 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) |
| 8/02 | HR 3953 | Aviation Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 22) |
| 8/01 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132) |
| 7/31 | S 1936 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 7/25 | H Amdt 1360 | Renewable Energy Research Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135) |
| 7/25 | H Amdt 1359 | Energy Research Appropriation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
| 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) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 1164 | Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 1167 | Spaced-based Weapons Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208) |
| 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) |
| 5/15 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Bill Passed - House (272 - 153) |