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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 1998 | National | S 1723 | Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| May 6, 1998 | National | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - House (414 - 4) |
| May 5, 1998 | National | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 7) |
| April 30, 1998 | National | S 1502 | Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 206) |
| April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2175 | School Modernization Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
| March 31, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2165 | Deficit Neutral Reserve Fund Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Feb. 5, 1998 | National | HR 2846 | National Student Testing bill | Bill Passed - House (242 - 174) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2616 | Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 | Bill Passed - House (367 - 57) |
| Nov. 4, 1997 | National | HR 2746 | HELP Scholarships bill | Bill Failed - House (191 - 228) |
| Oct. 23, 1997 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| Oct. 23, 1997 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| Sept. 11, 1997 | National | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| June 26, 1997 | National | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| May 23, 1997 | National | S Amdt 357 | Violent Crime Victims Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| May 16, 1997 | National | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/18 | S 1723 | Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 5/06 | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - House (414 - 4) |
| 5/05 | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 7) |
| 4/30 | S 1502 | Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 206) |
| 4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 4/01 | S Amdt 2175 | School Modernization Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
| 3/31 | S Amdt 2165 | Deficit Neutral Reserve Fund Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 2/05 | HR 2846 | National Student Testing bill | Bill Passed - House (242 - 174) |
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 11/07 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| 11/07 | HR 2616 | Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 | Bill Passed - House (367 - 57) |
| 11/04 | HR 2746 | HELP Scholarships bill | Bill Failed - House (191 - 228) |
| 10/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| 10/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| 9/11 | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 6/26 | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| 5/23 | S Amdt 357 | Violent Crime Victims Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 5/16 | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
| 4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 4/25 | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 3/20 | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |