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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| March 14, 1996 | National | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| March 14, 1996 | National | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| March 14, 1996 | National | HR 2703 | Antiterrorism bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 191) |
| March 12, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172) |
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Dec. 20, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 16) |
| Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| Dec. 5, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| June 28, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| June 8, 1995 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Bill Passed - House (222 - 192) |
| June 7, 1995 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| June 7, 1995 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| June 6, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| June 6, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| May 10, 1995 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| March 8, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (325 - 99) |
| Feb. 16, 1995 | National | HR 7 | Limiting U.S. Monetary and Troop Assistance to the United Nations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 181) |
| Feb. 14, 1995 | National | HR 728 | Anti-Crime bill | Bill Passed - House (238 - 192) |
| Feb. 8, 1995 | National | HR 666 | Admission of Evidence Seized Without a Warrant in Certain Conditions | Bill Passed - House (289 - 142) |
| Feb. 8, 1995 | National | HR 666 | Admission of Evidence Seized Without a Warrant in Certain Conditions | Bill Passed - House (289 - 142) |
| Aug. 25, 1994 | National | HR 3355 | Omnibus Crime Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| Aug. 21, 1994 | National | HR 3355 | Omnibus Crime Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (235 - 195) |
| July 19, 1994 | National | H Amdt 759 | Intelligence Spending Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 221) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 3/14 | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| 3/14 | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
| 3/14 | HR 2703 | Antiterrorism bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 191) |
| 3/12 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172) |
| 12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 12/20 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| 12/14 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 16) |
| 12/06 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| 12/05 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| 6/28 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 6/08 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Bill Passed - House (222 - 192) |
| 6/07 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 6/07 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| 5/10 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 3/08 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (325 - 99) |
| 2/16 | HR 7 | Limiting U.S. Monetary and Troop Assistance to the United Nations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 181) |
| 2/14 | HR 728 | Anti-Crime bill | Bill Passed - House (238 - 192) |
| 2/08 | HR 666 | Admission of Evidence Seized Without a Warrant in Certain Conditions | Bill Passed - House (289 - 142) |
| 2/08 | HR 666 | Admission of Evidence Seized Without a Warrant in Certain Conditions | Bill Passed - House (289 - 142) |
| 8/25 | HR 3355 | Omnibus Crime Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 8/21 | HR 3355 | Omnibus Crime Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (235 - 195) |
| 7/19 | H Amdt 759 | Intelligence Spending Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 221) |