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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 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) |
| July 22, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1309 | Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223) |
| July 18, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1307 | Food Stamp Recipient Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 184) |
| July 18, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 170) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
| 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 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 1273 | Drug Price Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| 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 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1183 | Forest Service Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1167 | Spaced-based Weapons Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1164 | Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/01 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132) |
| 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) |
| 7/30 | 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) |
| 7/22 | H Amdt 1309 | Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223) |
| 7/18 | H Amdt 1307 | Food Stamp Recipient Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 184) |
| 7/18 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 170) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
| 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 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 1273 | Drug Price Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| 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) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1183 | Forest Service Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 1167 | Spaced-based Weapons Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 1164 | Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219) |