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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 12, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1676 | Intermodal Transportation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (96 - 4) |
| March 11, 1998 | National | HR 1432 | African Growth bill | Bill Passed - House (233 - 186) |
| March 6, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
| March 4, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1682 | Blood Alcohol Content Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 32) |
| March 4, 1998 | National | HR 856 | Puerto Rico Political Status bill | Bill Passed - House (209 - 208) |
| Feb. 26, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1646 | Campaign Finance Reform Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| Feb. 25, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| Feb. 25, 1998 | National | H Amdt 497 | Death Sentence Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300) |
| Feb. 24, 1998 | National | HR 424 | Minimum Sentences for Gun Crimes | Bill Passed - House (350 - 59) |
| Feb. 11, 1998 | National | S 1601 | Human Cloning Research bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (42 - 54) |
| Feb. 10, 1998 | National | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
| Feb. 5, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69) |
| Feb. 5, 1998 | National | HR 2846 | National Student Testing bill | Bill Passed - House (242 - 174) |
| Nov. 13, 1997 | National | HR 2159 | Foreign Operations FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (333 - 76) |
| Nov. 13, 1997 | National | HR 2267 | Appropriations bill FY98, Commerce, Justice, and State | Conference Report Adopted - House (282 - 110) |
| Nov. 13, 1997 | National | H Con Res 137 | Iraq War Crimes Tribunal | Resolution Passed - House (396 - 2) |
| Nov. 13, 1997 | National | H Res 301 | Broadcast of Committee Witness bill | Resolution Passed - House (241 - 165) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Bill Passed - House (352 - 64) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | S 858 | Intelligence FY98 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (385 - 36) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2647 | PLA Monitoring bill | Bill Passed - House (408 - 10) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2616 | Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 | Bill Passed - House (367 - 57) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 2386 | U.S.-Taiwan Missile Defense Cooperation bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 116) |
| Nov. 5, 1997 | National | HR 2358 | China Political Freedom bill | Bill Passed - House (416 - 5) |
| Nov. 4, 1997 | National | HR 2644 | United States-Caribbean Trade Partnership Act | Bill Failed - House (182 - 234) |
| Nov. 4, 1997 | National | HR 2746 | HELP Scholarships bill | Bill Failed - House (191 - 228) |
| Oct. 30, 1997 | National | HR 1270 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - House (307 - 120) |
| Oct. 28, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| Oct. 28, 1997 | National | HR 2107 | Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (84 - 14) |
| Oct. 24, 1997 | National | HR 2107 | Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 171) |
| Oct. 23, 1997 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| Oct. 22, 1997 | National | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| Oct. 9, 1997 | National | HR 2607 | District of Columbia FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 202) |
| Oct. 8, 1997 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| Oct. 6, 1997 | National | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 18) |
| Oct. 1, 1997 | National | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
| Sept. 30, 1997 | National | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 207) |
| Sept. 29, 1997 | National | H J Res 94 | Continuing Appropriations | Joint Resolution Passed - House (355 - 57) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Sept. 24, 1997 | National | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (309 - 106) |
| Sept. 24, 1997 | National | S 830 | Prescription Drug bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2) |
| Sept. 18, 1997 | National | H Res 168 | House Ethics Reform Task Force | Resolution Passed - House (258 - 154) |
| Sept. 17, 1997 | National | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Bill Passed - House (231 - 192) |
| Sept. 11, 1997 | National | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| Sept. 11, 1997 | National | H Amdt 347 | Needle Exchange Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 158) |
| Sept. 9, 1997 | National | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | S Amdt 1077 | Fetal Tissue Research Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | HR 2159 | Foreign Operations FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 49) |
| July 31, 1997 | National | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (389 - 43) |
| July 31, 1997 | National | HR 2015 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (85 - 15) |
| July 31, 1997 | National | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| July 30, 1997 | National | HR 2015 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (346 - 85) |
| July 29, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| July 28, 1997 | National | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 203) |
| July 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 271 | Tobacco Crops Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216) |
| July 24, 1997 | National | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 32) |
| July 22, 1997 | National | S Amdt 936 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| July 22, 1997 | National | H Res 175 | Republic of Congo Elections | Resolution Failed - House (279 - 147) |
| July 17, 1997 | National | S Amdt 890 | Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77) |
| July 15, 1997 | National | HR 2107 | Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (238 - 192) |
| July 10, 1997 | National | S Amdt 593 | Abortions at Overseas Military Facilities | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| July 9, 1997 | National | S Amdt 771 | Base Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33) |
| June 26, 1997 | National | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| June 26, 1997 | National | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - House (253 - 179) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (304 - 120) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | HR 2015 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - House (270 - 162) |
| June 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 204 | Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231) |
| June 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 203 | Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/12 | S Amdt 1676 | Intermodal Transportation Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (96 - 4) |
| 3/11 | HR 1432 | African Growth bill | Bill Passed - House (233 - 186) |
| 3/06 | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
| 3/04 | S Amdt 1682 | Blood Alcohol Content Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 32) |
| 3/04 | HR 856 | Puerto Rico Political Status bill | Bill Passed - House (209 - 208) |
| 2/26 | S Amdt 1646 | Campaign Finance Reform Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| 2/25 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 2/25 | H Amdt 497 | Death Sentence Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300) |
| 2/24 | HR 424 | Minimum Sentences for Gun Crimes | Bill Passed - House (350 - 59) |
| 2/11 | S 1601 | Human Cloning Research bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (42 - 54) |
| 2/10 | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
| 2/05 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69) |
| 2/05 | HR 2846 | National Student Testing bill | Bill Passed - House (242 - 174) |
| 11/13 | HR 2159 | Foreign Operations FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (333 - 76) |
| 11/13 | HR 2267 | Appropriations bill FY98, Commerce, Justice, and State | Conference Report Adopted - House (282 - 110) |
| 11/13 | H Con Res 137 | Iraq War Crimes Tribunal | Resolution Passed - House (396 - 2) |
| 11/13 | H Res 301 | Broadcast of Committee Witness bill | Resolution Passed - House (241 - 165) |
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 11/08 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Bill Passed - House (352 - 64) |
| 11/07 | S 858 | Intelligence FY98 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (385 - 36) |
| 11/07 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| 11/07 | HR 2647 | PLA Monitoring bill | Bill Passed - House (408 - 10) |
| 11/07 | HR 2616 | Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 | Bill Passed - House (367 - 57) |
| 11/06 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 11/06 | HR 2386 | U.S.-Taiwan Missile Defense Cooperation bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 116) |
| 11/05 | HR 2358 | China Political Freedom bill | Bill Passed - House (416 - 5) |
| 11/04 | HR 2644 | United States-Caribbean Trade Partnership Act | Bill Failed - House (182 - 234) |
| 11/04 | HR 2746 | HELP Scholarships bill | Bill Failed - House (191 - 228) |
| 10/30 | HR 1270 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - House (307 - 120) |
| 10/28 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| 10/28 | HR 2107 | Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (84 - 14) |
| 10/24 | HR 2107 | Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 171) |
| 10/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| 10/22 | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| 10/09 | HR 2607 | District of Columbia FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 202) |
| 10/08 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (296 - 132) |
| 10/06 | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 18) |
| 10/01 | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
| 9/30 | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 207) |
| 9/29 | H J Res 94 | Continuing Appropriations | Joint Resolution Passed - House (355 - 57) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 9/24 | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (309 - 106) |
| 9/24 | S 830 | Prescription Drug bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2) |
| 9/18 | H Res 168 | House Ethics Reform Task Force | Resolution Passed - House (258 - 154) |
| 9/17 | HR 2378 | Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service | Bill Passed - House (231 - 192) |
| 9/11 | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 9/11 | H Amdt 347 | Needle Exchange Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 158) |
| 9/09 | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| 9/04 | S Amdt 1077 | Fetal Tissue Research Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60) |
| 9/04 | HR 2159 | Foreign Operations FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 49) |
| 7/31 | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (389 - 43) |
| 7/31 | HR 2015 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (85 - 15) |
| 7/31 | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| 7/30 | HR 2015 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (346 - 85) |
| 7/29 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| 7/28 | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 203) |
| 7/24 | H Amdt 271 | Tobacco Crops Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216) |
| 7/24 | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 32) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 936 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 7/22 | H Res 175 | Republic of Congo Elections | Resolution Failed - House (279 - 147) |
| 7/17 | S Amdt 890 | Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77) |
| 7/15 | HR 2107 | Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (238 - 192) |
| 7/10 | S Amdt 593 | Abortions at Overseas Military Facilities | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 771 | Base Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33) |
| 6/26 | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| 6/26 | HR 2014 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - House (253 - 179) |
| 6/25 | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 6/25 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (304 - 120) |
| 6/25 | HR 2015 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - House (270 - 162) |
| 6/24 | H Amdt 204 | Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231) |
| 6/24 | H Amdt 203 | Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148) |