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 21, 1998 National HR 3616 Defense Department FY99 Authorization bill Bill Passed - House (357 - 60)
May 20, 1998 National H Amdt 643 Abortion Private Funding Restoration Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 232)
April 30, 1998 National S 1502 Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill Bill Passed - House (214 - 206)
April 22, 1998 National H J Res 111 Tax Limitation Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - House (238 - 186)
March 30, 1998 National HR 3581 Campaign Finance Reform bill Bill Failed - House (74 - 337)
March 26, 1998 National HR 3246 Small Business and Employee Fairness bill Bill Passed - House (202 - 200)
March 18, 1998 National H Con Res 227 Bosnia and Herzegovina U.S. Troop Removal Resolution Resolution Failed - House (193 - 225)
Feb. 25, 1998 National H Amdt 497 Death Sentence Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300)
Feb. 5, 1998 National HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/21 HR 3616 Defense Department FY99 Authorization bill Bill Passed - House (357 - 60)
5/20 H Amdt 643 Abortion Private Funding Restoration Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 232)
4/30 S 1502 Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill Bill Passed - House (214 - 206)
4/22 H J Res 111 Tax Limitation Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - House (238 - 186)
3/30 HR 3581 Campaign Finance Reform bill Bill Failed - House (74 - 337)
3/26 HR 3246 Small Business and Employee Fairness bill Bill Passed - House (202 - 200)
3/18 H Con Res 227 Bosnia and Herzegovina U.S. Troop Removal Resolution Resolution Failed - House (193 - 225)
2/25 H Amdt 497 Death Sentence Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300)
2/05 HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69)

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