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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2, 1995 | National | HR 2546 | Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia | Bill Passed - House (224 - 191) |
| July 27, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2417 | Demonstration Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
| July 27, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2416 | Voluntary Prayer Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| March 26, 1994 | National | HR 1804 | Goals 2000: Educate America Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 22) |
| March 24, 1994 | National | H Amdt 497 | Funding and Programs Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (173 - 245) |
| March 24, 1994 | National | H Amdt 491 | Homosexuality Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 194) |
| March 23, 1994 | National | HR 1804 | Goals 2000: Educate America Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (306 - 121) |
| March 22, 1994 | National | H Amdt 488 | Optional Abstinence Emphasis Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (262 - 166) |
| March 9, 1994 | National | H Amdt 462 | Tobacco Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (353 - 70) |
| Oct. 18, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
| Oct. 18, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
| Oct. 13, 1993 | National | HR 1804 | Goals 2000: Educate America Act | Bill Passed - House (307 - 118) |
| Oct. 7, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (311 - 115) |
| Oct. 7, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (311 - 115) |
| Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
| Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
| Sept. 8, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40) |
| Aug. 6, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 152) |
| Aug. 3, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
| July 28, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - House (275 - 152) |
| July 22, 1993 | National | S Amdt 608 | National Service Educational Awards Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (55 - 44) |
| June 30, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (305 - 124) |
| June 30, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (305 - 124) |
| May 21, 1992 | National | S Amdt 1852 | Eliminating Emergency Funding for Emergency Summer Youth Employment Programs | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 62) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/02 | HR 2546 | Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia | Bill Passed - House (224 - 191) |
| 7/27 | S Amdt 2417 | Demonstration Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
| 7/27 | S Amdt 2416 | Voluntary Prayer Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 3/26 | HR 1804 | Goals 2000: Educate America Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 22) |
| 3/24 | H Amdt 497 | Funding and Programs Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (173 - 245) |
| 3/24 | H Amdt 491 | Homosexuality Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 194) |
| 3/23 | HR 1804 | Goals 2000: Educate America Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (306 - 121) |
| 3/22 | H Amdt 488 | Optional Abstinence Emphasis Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (262 - 166) |
| 3/09 | H Amdt 462 | Tobacco Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (353 - 70) |
| 10/18 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
| 10/18 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
| 10/13 | HR 1804 | Goals 2000: Educate America Act | Bill Passed - House (307 - 118) |
| 10/07 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (311 - 115) |
| 10/07 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (311 - 115) |
| 9/29 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
| 9/29 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
| 9/08 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40) |
| 8/06 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 152) |
| 8/03 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 7/28 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - House (275 - 152) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 608 | National Service Educational Awards Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (55 - 44) |
| 6/30 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (305 - 124) |
| 6/30 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (305 - 124) |
| 5/21 | S Amdt 1852 | Eliminating Emergency Funding for Emergency Summer Youth Employment Programs | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 62) |