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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22, 1998 | National | HR 4060 | Energy FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (405 - 4) |
| June 4, 1998 | National | S 1150 | Agricultural Research bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (364 - 50) |
| May 12, 1998 | National | S 1150 | Agricultural Research bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| March 27, 1998 | National | H Amdt 542 | Road Construction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (200 - 187) |
| March 27, 1998 | National | HR 2515 | Forest Recovery and Protection bill | Bill Failed - House (181 - 201) |
| Oct. 30, 1997 | National | HR 1270 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - House (307 - 120) |
| Oct. 6, 1997 | National | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 18) |
| 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) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| May 7, 1997 | National | H Amdt 71 | Endangered Species Act Exemption Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 196) |
| 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) |
| April 15, 1997 | National | S 104 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| Sept. 17, 1996 | National | S Amdt 5353 | Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 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. 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. 12, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29) |
| 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) |
| July 31, 1996 | National | S 1936 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| July 25, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1359 | Energy Research Appropriation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211) |
| July 25, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1360 | Renewable Energy Research Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/22 | HR 4060 | Energy FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (405 - 4) |
| 6/04 | S 1150 | Agricultural Research bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (364 - 50) |
| 5/12 | S 1150 | Agricultural Research bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
| 3/27 | H Amdt 542 | Road Construction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (200 - 187) |
| 3/27 | HR 2515 | Forest Recovery and Protection bill | Bill Failed - House (181 - 201) |
| 10/30 | HR 1270 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - House (307 - 120) |
| 10/06 | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 18) |
| 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) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 5/07 | H Amdt 71 | Endangered Species Act Exemption Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 196) |
| 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) |
| 4/15 | S 104 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| 9/17 | S Amdt 5353 | Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 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) |
| 9/17 | 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) |
| 9/12 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29) |
| 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) |
| 7/31 | S 1936 | Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 7/25 | H Amdt 1359 | Energy Research Appropriation Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211) |
| 7/25 | H Amdt 1360 | Renewable Energy Research Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135) |