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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 12, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1276 | Human Embryo Research Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1273 | Drug Price Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1278 | Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| July 9, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4435 | Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| July 9, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| June 27, 1996 | National | H Res 468 | Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich | Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170) |
| June 26, 1996 | National | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (269 - 147) |
| June 25, 1996 | National | S 1219 | Campaign Finance Reform bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 46) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | PN 953 | Alice M. Rivlin, Federal Reserve Vice-Chair | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 41) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | PN 951 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (91 - 7) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1183 | Forest Service Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211) |
| June 19, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4059 | Overseas Abortion Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 51) |
| 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) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | HR 3610 | Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 126) |
| June 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1147 | Animal Damage Control Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279) |
| June 12, 1996 | National | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1133 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | HR 3562 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (289 - 136) |
| May 23, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1084 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 162) |
| May 23, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1085 | Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 188) |
| May 23, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1085 | Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 229) |
| May 23, 1996 | National | HR 1227 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (281 - 144) |
| May 22, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1075 | Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248) |
| May 22, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - House (414 - 10) |
| May 21, 1996 | National | HR 3415 | Repeal Gas Tax bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 108) |
| May 16, 1996 | National | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195) |
| May 15, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1057 | Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220) |
| May 15, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1058 | Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171) |
| May 15, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Bill Passed - House (272 - 153) |
| May 9, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
| May 7, 1996 | National | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
| May 2, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3840 | Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
| May 2, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
| May 1, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
| May 1, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3780 | Asylum Seeker Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| May 1, 1996 | National | S 641 | Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4) |
| 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 | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25) |
| April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
| April 18, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3677 | Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
| April 18, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
| April 17, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
| April 17, 1996 | National | HR 842 | Truth in Budgeting Act | Bill Passed - House (284 - 143) |
| March 29, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
| March 29, 1996 | National | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 89) |
| March 28, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44) |
| March 28, 1996 | National | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| March 28, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Bill Passed - House (267 - 151) |
| March 27, 1996 | National | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| March 22, 1996 | National | HR 125 | Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (239 - 173) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (333 - 87) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | S 1459 | Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47) |
| March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 974 | Immigrant English Proficiency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (210 - 207) |
| March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 968 | Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269) |
| March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
| March 19, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3513 | Medical Professionals Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37) |
| March 19, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
| March 14, 1996 | National | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| March 14, 1996 | National | HR 2703 | Antiterrorism bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 191) |
| March 12, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172) |
| March 7, 1996 | National | H Amdt 947 | Lobby Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (211 - 209) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/12 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1276 | Human Embryo Research Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1273 | Drug Price Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1278 | Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| 7/10 | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 7/10 | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 4435 | Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 7/09 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 6/27 | H Res 468 | Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich | Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170) |
| 6/26 | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (269 - 147) |
| 6/25 | S 1219 | Campaign Finance Reform bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 46) |
| 6/20 | PN 953 | Alice M. Rivlin, Federal Reserve Vice-Chair | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 6/20 | PN 951 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (91 - 7) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1183 | Forest Service Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211) |
| 6/19 | S Amdt 4059 | Overseas Abortion Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 51) |
| 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) |
| 6/13 | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 6/13 | HR 3610 | Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 126) |
| 6/12 | H Amdt 1147 | Animal Damage Control Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279) |
| 6/12 | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
| 6/06 | H Amdt 1133 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| 6/06 | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 6/06 | HR 3562 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (289 - 136) |
| 5/23 | H Amdt 1084 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 162) |
| 5/23 | H Amdt 1085 | Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 188) |
| 5/23 | H Amdt 1085 | Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 229) |
| 5/23 | HR 1227 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (281 - 144) |
| 5/22 | H Amdt 1075 | Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248) |
| 5/22 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - House (414 - 10) |
| 5/21 | HR 3415 | Repeal Gas Tax bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 108) |
| 5/16 | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195) |
| 5/15 | H Amdt 1057 | Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220) |
| 5/15 | H Amdt 1058 | Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171) |
| 5/15 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Bill Passed - House (272 - 153) |
| 5/09 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
| 5/07 | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
| 5/02 | S Amdt 3840 | Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
| 5/02 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
| 5/01 | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
| 5/01 | S Amdt 3780 | Asylum Seeker Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 5/01 | S 641 | Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4) |
| 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 | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 4/25 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11) |
| 4/25 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25) |
| 4/23 | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
| 4/18 | S Amdt 3677 | Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
| 4/18 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
| 4/17 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 4/17 | HR 842 | Truth in Budgeting Act | Bill Passed - House (284 - 143) |
| 3/29 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
| 3/29 | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 89) |
| 3/28 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44) |
| 3/28 | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 3/28 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Bill Passed - House (267 - 151) |
| 3/27 | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| 3/22 | HR 125 | Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (239 - 173) |
| 3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 3/21 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (333 - 87) |
| 3/21 | S 1459 | Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47) |
| 3/20 | H Amdt 974 | Immigrant English Proficiency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (210 - 207) |
| 3/20 | H Amdt 968 | Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269) |
| 3/20 | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
| 3/19 | S Amdt 3513 | Medical Professionals Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 3/19 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
| 3/14 | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| 3/14 | HR 2703 | Antiterrorism bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 191) |
| 3/12 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172) |
| 3/07 | H Amdt 947 | Lobby Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (211 - 209) |