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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
April 24, 1997 National S Res 75 Chemical Weapons Convention bill Resolution Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
April 17, 1997 National S 495 Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44)
April 16, 1997 National HR 1003 Assisted Suicide Bill Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
April 15, 1997 National S Amdt 31 Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
April 15, 1997 National S 104 Nuclear Waste Disposal bill Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
March 20, 1997 National S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
March 4, 1997 National S J Res 1 Balanced Budget amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (66 - 34)
Oct. 3, 1996 National HR 3539 Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
Sept. 26, 1996 National HR 1833 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Veto Override Failed - Senate (58 - 40)
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. 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 - Senate (76 - 22)
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 - Senate (98 - 0)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
July 31, 1996 National S 1936 Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37)
July 23, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
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 25, 1996 National S 1219 Campaign Finance Reform bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 46)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/24 S Res 75 Chemical Weapons Convention bill Resolution Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
4/17 S 495 Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44)
4/16 HR 1003 Assisted Suicide Bill Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
4/15 S Amdt 31 Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
4/15 S 104 Nuclear Waste Disposal bill Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
3/20 S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
3/04 S J Res 1 Balanced Budget amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (66 - 34)
10/03 HR 3539 Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
9/26 HR 1833 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Veto Override Failed - Senate (58 - 40)
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)
9/10 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 - Senate (76 - 22)
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 - Senate (98 - 0)
8/01 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
7/31 S 1936 Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37)
7/23 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
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)
6/25 S 1219 Campaign Finance Reform bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 46)

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