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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 6, 1998 | National | H Amdt 874 | Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208) |
| June 18, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197) |
| June 18, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197) |
| May 6, 1998 | National | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - House (414 - 4) |
| April 30, 1998 | National | S 1502 | Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 206) |
| Feb. 5, 1998 | National | HR 2846 | National Student Testing bill | Bill Passed - House (242 - 174) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
| Nov. 2, 1995 | National | HR 2546 | Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia | Bill Passed - House (224 - 191) |
| March 24, 1994 | National | H Amdt 491 | Homosexuality Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 194) |
| March 24, 1994 | National | H Amdt 497 | Funding and Programs Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (173 - 245) |
| 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. 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) |
| Aug. 6, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 152) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/06 | H Amdt 874 | Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208) |
| 6/18 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197) |
| 6/18 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197) |
| 5/06 | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - House (414 - 4) |
| 4/30 | S 1502 | Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 206) |
| 2/05 | HR 2846 | National Student Testing bill | Bill Passed - House (242 - 174) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 3/20 | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
| 11/02 | HR 2546 | Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia | Bill Passed - House (224 - 191) |
| 3/24 | H Amdt 491 | Homosexuality Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 194) |
| 3/24 | H Amdt 497 | Funding and Programs Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (173 - 245) |
| 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) |
| 10/13 | 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) |
| 8/06 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (275 - 152) |