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 29, 1994 | National | S 687 | Product Liability Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41) |
| May 12, 1994 | National | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| May 12, 1994 | National | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| May 5, 1994 | National | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (241 - 174) |
| May 5, 1994 | National | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (241 - 174) |
| May 5, 1994 | National | HR 4296 | Regulation of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Bill Passed - House (216 - 214) |
| April 21, 1994 | National | HR 4092 | Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 | Bill Passed - House (285 - 141) |
| April 21, 1994 | National | HR 4092 | Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 | Bill Passed - House (285 - 141) |
| April 14, 1994 | National | H Amdt 503 | Death Penalty Removal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (111 - 314) |
| March 16, 1994 | National | HR 820 | National Competitiveness Act of 1993 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 40) |
| Feb. 10, 1994 | National | H Amdt 436 | Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188) |
| Feb. 3, 1994 | National | H Amdt 427 | Fiscal 1994 Disaster Relief Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (207 - 211) |
| Nov. 23, 1993 | National | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (238 - 187) |
| Nov. 20, 1993 | National | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| Nov. 19, 1993 | National | HR 3351 | Youth Offenders Alternative Punishment | Bill Passed - House (336 - 82) |
| Nov. 18, 1993 | National | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |
| Nov. 17, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1152 | Prohibiting the Possession of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Nov. 17, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1204 | Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74) |
| Nov. 10, 1993 | National | H Amdt 390 | Instant Background Checks for Gun Purchase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 192) |
| Nov. 10, 1993 | National | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - House (238 - 189) |
| Nov. 9, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1151 | Improving Fingerprint Systems Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| Nov. 8, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1132 | Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Minors | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 41) |
| Nov. 5, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1117 | Charging Teens as Adults for Crimes Involving a Firearm | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 23) |
| Oct. 19, 1993 | National | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Conference Report Adopted - House (341 - 89) |
| Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2401 | Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (268 - 162) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/29 | S 687 | Product Liability Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 5/12 | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 5/12 | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 5/05 | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (241 - 174) |
| 5/05 | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (241 - 174) |
| 5/05 | HR 4296 | Regulation of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Bill Passed - House (216 - 214) |
| 4/21 | HR 4092 | Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 | Bill Passed - House (285 - 141) |
| 4/21 | HR 4092 | Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 | Bill Passed - House (285 - 141) |
| 4/14 | H Amdt 503 | Death Penalty Removal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (111 - 314) |
| 3/16 | HR 820 | National Competitiveness Act of 1993 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 2/10 | H Amdt 436 | Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 | Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188) |
| 2/03 | H Amdt 427 | Fiscal 1994 Disaster Relief Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (207 - 211) |
| 11/23 | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (238 - 187) |
| 11/20 | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| 11/19 | HR 3351 | Youth Offenders Alternative Punishment | Bill Passed - House (336 - 82) |
| 11/18 | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 1152 | Prohibiting the Possession of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 1204 | Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74) |
| 11/10 | H Amdt 390 | Instant Background Checks for Gun Purchase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 192) |
| 11/10 | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - House (238 - 189) |
| 11/09 | S Amdt 1151 | Improving Fingerprint Systems Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 11/08 | S Amdt 1132 | Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Minors | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 41) |
| 11/05 | S Amdt 1117 | Charging Teens as Adults for Crimes Involving a Firearm | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 23) |
| 10/19 | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Conference Report Adopted - House (341 - 89) |
| 9/29 | HR 2401 | Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (268 - 162) |