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 25, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2981 | Military Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| June 24, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2912 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Withdrawal Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 31) |
| June 24, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
| May 18, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| May 18, 1998 | National | S 1723 | Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| May 5, 1998 | National | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 7) |
| April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2209 | Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Feb. 25, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| Feb. 10, 1998 | National | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| Oct. 3, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 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 - Senate (76 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/25 | S Amdt 2981 | Military Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 6/24 | S Amdt 2912 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Withdrawal Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 31) |
| 6/24 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 5/18 | S 1723 | Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 5/05 | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 7) |
| 4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 4/01 | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 4/01 | S Amdt 2209 | Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 2/25 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 2/10 | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 11/06 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 10/03 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 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 - Senate (76 - 22) |