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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| June 19, 1997 | National | S Amdt 416 | Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
| May 20, 1997 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 36) |
| March 20, 1997 | National | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| April 17, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
| April 17, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
| March 28, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 16) |
| 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 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) |
| Aug. 25, 1994 | National | HR 3355 | Omnibus Crime Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 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) |
| March 16, 1994 | National | HR 820 | National Competitiveness Act of 1993 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 40) |
| Nov. 20, 1993 | National | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| Nov. 17, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1204 | Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74) |
| Nov. 17, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1152 | Prohibiting the Possession of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 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) |
| Sept. 22, 1993 | National | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| May 11, 1993 | National | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36) |
| March 17, 1993 | National | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 6/19 | S Amdt 416 | Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
| 5/20 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 36) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 4/17 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 4/17 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
| 3/28 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44) |
| 3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 12/14 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 16) |
| 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) |
| 6/07 | 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) |
| 8/25 | HR 3355 | Omnibus Crime Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 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) |
| 3/16 | HR 820 | National Competitiveness Act of 1993 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 11/20 | HR 1025 | Brady Handgun Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 1204 | Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 1152 | Prohibiting the Possession of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons | Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 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) |
| 9/22 | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| 5/11 | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36) |
| 3/17 | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |