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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 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) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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. 3, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
| July 22, 1993 | National | S Amdt 608 | National Service Educational Awards Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (55 - 44) |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 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) |
| 4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 8/03 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 608 | National Service Educational Awards Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (55 - 44) |
| 5/21 | S Amdt 1852 | Eliminating Emergency Funding for Emergency Summer Youth Employment Programs | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 62) |