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. 16, 1998 | National | H Amdt 887 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (291 - 133) |
| Sept. 15, 1998 | National | S 2073 | Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (280 - 126) |
| Aug. 7, 1998 | National | H Amdt 869 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (250 - 169) |
| Aug. 7, 1998 | National | H Amdt 871 | Adoption Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
| Aug. 6, 1998 | National | H Amdt 874 | Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208) |
| July 30, 1998 | National | H Amdt 747 | Voter Registration Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 260) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3266 | Internet Gambling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | HR 4193 | Interior Department FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 181) |
| July 22, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| July 21, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3230 | Gun Lock Requirement Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (61 - 39) |
| July 21, 1998 | National | H Amdt 753 | National Endowment for the Arts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173) |
| July 16, 1998 | National | H Amdt 728 | Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198) |
| July 16, 1998 | National | H Amdt 728 | Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198) |
| July 15, 1998 | National | HR 3682 | Child Custody Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (276 - 150) |
| June 24, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
| June 18, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197) |
| June 9, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2451 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
| June 4, 1998 | National | H J Res 78 | Religious Freedom Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - House (224 - 203) |
| May 18, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| May 18, 1998 | National | S 1723 | Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| May 14, 1998 | National | HR 2431 | Religious Freedom | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Feb. 24, 1998 | National | HR 424 | Minimum Sentences for Gun Crimes | Bill Passed - House (350 - 59) |
| Feb. 24, 1998 | National | HR 424 | Minimum Sentences for Gun Crimes | Bill Passed - House (350 - 59) |
| Feb. 11, 1998 | National | S 1601 | Human Cloning Research bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (42 - 54) |
| Oct. 23, 1997 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| Sept. 9, 1997 | National | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
| Sept. 9, 1997 | National | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
| June 26, 1997 | National | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| June 19, 1997 | National | H Amdt 187 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224) |
| May 8, 1997 | National | HR 3 | Juvenile Crime bill | Bill Passed - House (286 - 132) |
| May 7, 1997 | National | H Amdt 71 | Endangered Species Act Exemption Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 196) |
| March 20, 1997 | National | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| March 20, 1997 | National | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| March 5, 1997 | National | H Con Res 31 | Display of the Ten Commandments | Resolution Passed - House (295 - 125) |
| Feb. 13, 1997 | National | HR 581 | Population Planning Bill | Bill Passed - House (231 - 194) |
| Sept. 25, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123) |
| Sept. 17, 1996 | National | S Amdt 5353 | Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
| July 31, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101) |
| July 30, 1996 | National | HR 2391 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 195) |
| July 23, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| July 18, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 170) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/16 | H Amdt 887 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (291 - 133) |
| 9/15 | S 2073 | Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (280 - 126) |
| 8/07 | H Amdt 869 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (250 - 169) |
| 8/07 | H Amdt 871 | Adoption Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 192) |
| 8/06 | H Amdt 874 | Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208) |
| 7/30 | H Amdt 747 | Voter Registration Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 260) |
| 7/23 | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 7/23 | S Amdt 3266 | Internet Gambling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 7/23 | HR 4193 | Interior Department FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 181) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 7/21 | S Amdt 3230 | Gun Lock Requirement Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 7/21 | H Amdt 753 | National Endowment for the Arts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (253 - 173) |
| 7/16 | H Amdt 728 | Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198) |
| 7/16 | H Amdt 728 | Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198) |
| 7/15 | HR 3682 | Child Custody Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (276 - 150) |
| 6/24 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
| 6/18 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197) |
| 6/09 | S Amdt 2451 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
| 6/04 | H J Res 78 | Religious Freedom Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - House (224 - 203) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 5/18 | S 1723 | Non-Immigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 5/14 | HR 2431 | Religious Freedom | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| 4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 2/24 | HR 424 | Minimum Sentences for Gun Crimes | Bill Passed - House (350 - 59) |
| 2/24 | HR 424 | Minimum Sentences for Gun Crimes | Bill Passed - House (350 - 59) |
| 2/11 | S 1601 | Human Cloning Research bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (42 - 54) |
| 10/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| 9/09 | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
| 9/09 | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
| 6/26 | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| 6/19 | H Amdt 187 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224) |
| 5/08 | HR 3 | Juvenile Crime bill | Bill Passed - House (286 - 132) |
| 5/07 | H Amdt 71 | Endangered Species Act Exemption Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (227 - 196) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 3/05 | H Con Res 31 | Display of the Ten Commandments | Resolution Passed - House (295 - 125) |
| 2/13 | HR 581 | Population Planning Bill | Bill Passed - House (231 - 194) |
| 9/25 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123) |
| 9/17 | S Amdt 5353 | Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 9/10 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
| 9/10 | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 8/01 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 8/01 | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
| 7/31 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101) |
| 7/30 | HR 2391 | Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (225 - 195) |
| 7/23 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 7/18 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 170) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |