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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 24, 1996 | National | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25) |
| Sept. 19, 1996 | National | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137) |
| 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) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| 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 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3953 | Aviation Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 22) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
| July 31, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101) |
| July 31, 1996 | National | S 1936 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| July 30, 1996 | National | HR 2391 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 195) |
| 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 25, 1996 | National | HR 3820 | Campaign Finance Reform | Bill Failed - House (162 - 259) |
| July 24, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1356 | Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/24 | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25) |
| 9/19 | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137) |
| 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) |
| 9/10 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| 9/10 | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72) |
| 8/02 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| 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 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 8/02 | HR 3953 | Aviation Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 22) |
| 8/01 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2) |
| 8/01 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132) |
| 8/01 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 8/01 | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
| 7/31 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101) |
| 7/31 | S 1936 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 7/30 | HR 2391 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 195) |
| 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) |
| 7/25 | HR 3820 | Campaign Finance Reform | Bill Failed - House (162 - 259) |
| 7/24 | H Amdt 1356 | Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236) |