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 29, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| July 28, 1997 | National | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 203) |
| June 26, 1997 | National | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (304 - 120) |
| June 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 203 | Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148) |
| June 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 204 | Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231) |
| June 23, 1997 | National | H Amdt 192 | Border Defense Personnel Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (269 - 119) |
| June 19, 1997 | National | H Amdt 187 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224) |
| May 16, 1997 | National | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| April 30, 1997 | National | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
| March 20, 1997 | National | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| Feb. 13, 1997 | National | HR 581 | Population Planning Bill | Bill Passed - House (231 - 194) |
| Feb. 12, 1997 | National | H J Res 2 | Term Limits Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (217 - 211) |
| Jan. 21, 1997 | National | H Res 31 | Ethics Report on Newt Gingrich | Resolution Passed - House (395 - 28) |
| Oct. 3, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| Sept. 27, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| Sept. 25, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123) |
| Sept. 24, 1996 | National | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/29 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| 7/28 | HR 2209 | FY 1998 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 203) |
| 6/26 | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| 6/25 | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 6/25 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (304 - 120) |
| 6/24 | H Amdt 203 | Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148) |
| 6/24 | H Amdt 204 | Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231) |
| 6/23 | H Amdt 192 | Border Defense Personnel Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (269 - 119) |
| 6/19 | H Amdt 187 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224) |
| 5/16 | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| 4/30 | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 2/13 | HR 581 | Population Planning Bill | Bill Passed - House (231 - 194) |
| 2/12 | H J Res 2 | Term Limits Resolution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (217 - 211) |
| 1/21 | H Res 31 | Ethics Report on Newt Gingrich | Resolution Passed - House (395 - 28) |
| 10/03 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 9/27 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| 9/25 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123) |
| 9/24 | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25) |
| 9/10 | HR 3230 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 26) |
| 9/10 | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 9/10 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| 8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72) |