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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 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 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 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) |
| 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 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) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
| July 12, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1276 | Human Embryo Research Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256) |
| June 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1147 | Animal Damage Control Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279) |
| May 7, 1996 | National | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
| April 18, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 6/19 | 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) |
| 3/05 | 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) |
| 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) |
| 7/18 | 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) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
| 7/12 | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
| 7/12 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1276 | Human Embryo Research Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256) |
| 6/12 | H Amdt 1147 | Animal Damage Control Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279) |
| 5/07 | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
| 4/18 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |