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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| April 22, 1998 | National | H J Res 111 | Tax Limitation Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - House (238 - 186) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2209 | Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| March 30, 1998 | National | HR 3581 | Campaign Finance Reform bill | Bill Failed - House (74 - 337) |
| March 26, 1998 | National | HR 3246 | Small Business and Employee Fairness bill | Bill Passed - House (202 - 200) |
| March 18, 1998 | National | H Con Res 227 | Bosnia and Herzegovina U.S. Troop Removal Resolution | Resolution Failed - House (193 - 225) |
| 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. 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) |
| 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 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| Nov. 4, 1997 | National | HR 2746 | HELP Scholarships bill | Bill Failed - House (191 - 228) |
| Oct. 28, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| Oct. 23, 1997 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| Sept. 24, 1997 | National | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (309 - 106) |
| Sept. 18, 1997 | National | H Res 168 | House Ethics Reform Task Force | Resolution Passed - House (258 - 154) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 4/22 | H J Res 111 | Tax Limitation Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - House (238 - 186) |
| 4/01 | S Amdt 2209 | Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 4/01 | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 3/30 | HR 3581 | Campaign Finance Reform bill | Bill Failed - House (74 - 337) |
| 3/26 | HR 3246 | Small Business and Employee Fairness bill | Bill Passed - House (202 - 200) |
| 3/18 | H Con Res 227 | Bosnia and Herzegovina U.S. Troop Removal Resolution | Resolution Failed - House (193 - 225) |
| 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) |
| 2/10 | 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) |
| 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 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| 11/06 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 11/04 | HR 2746 | HELP Scholarships bill | Bill Failed - House (191 - 228) |
| 10/28 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| 10/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| 9/24 | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (309 - 106) |
| 9/18 | H Res 168 | House Ethics Reform Task Force | Resolution Passed - House (258 - 154) |
| 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) |