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 865 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 243) |
| Aug. 6, 1998 | National | H Amdt 862 | Federal Campaign Finance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (147 - 222) |
| Aug. 3, 1998 | National | H Amdt 690 | Shays Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 186) |
| July 15, 1998 | National | HR 3682 | Child Custody Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (276 - 150) |
| May 22, 1998 | National | HR 2400 | Transportation Reauthorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (297 - 86) |
| April 30, 1998 | National | S 1502 | Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 206) |
| April 29, 1998 | National | HR 3717 | Needle Exchange Funding Ban | Bill Passed - House (287 - 140) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | HR 2400 | Transportation Reauthorization bill | Bill Passed - House (337 - 80) |
| March 4, 1998 | National | HR 856 | Puerto Rico Political Status bill | Bill Passed - House (209 - 208) |
| Feb. 5, 1998 | National | HR 2846 | National Student Testing bill | Bill Passed - House (242 - 174) |
| Oct. 9, 1997 | National | HR 2607 | District of Columbia FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 202) |
| May 16, 1997 | National | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
| July 22, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1309 | Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223) |
| 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) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1133 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | HR 3562 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (289 - 136) |
| March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
| March 7, 1996 | National | H Amdt 946 | Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222) |
| Feb. 28, 1996 | National | H Amdt 935 | Dairy Program Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (258 - 164) |
| Dec. 21, 1995 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (245 - 178) |
| Nov. 2, 1995 | National | HR 2546 | Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia | Bill Passed - House (224 - 191) |
| Sept. 20, 1995 | National | H Amdt 814 | Drinking and Driving Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 203) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/06 | H Amdt 865 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 243) |
| 8/06 | H Amdt 862 | Federal Campaign Finance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (147 - 222) |
| 8/03 | H Amdt 690 | Shays Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 186) |
| 7/15 | HR 3682 | Child Custody Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (276 - 150) |
| 5/22 | HR 2400 | Transportation Reauthorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (297 - 86) |
| 4/30 | S 1502 | Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill | Bill Passed - House (214 - 206) |
| 4/29 | HR 3717 | Needle Exchange Funding Ban | Bill Passed - House (287 - 140) |
| 4/01 | HR 2400 | Transportation Reauthorization bill | Bill Passed - House (337 - 80) |
| 3/04 | HR 856 | Puerto Rico Political Status bill | Bill Passed - House (209 - 208) |
| 2/05 | HR 2846 | National Student Testing bill | Bill Passed - House (242 - 174) |
| 10/09 | HR 2607 | District of Columbia FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (203 - 202) |
| 5/16 | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| 8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
| 7/22 | H Amdt 1309 | Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223) |
| 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) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| 6/06 | H Amdt 1133 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| 6/06 | HR 3562 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (289 - 136) |
| 3/20 | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
| 3/07 | H Amdt 946 | Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222) |
| 2/28 | H Amdt 935 | Dairy Program Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (258 - 164) |
| 12/21 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (245 - 178) |
| 11/02 | HR 2546 | Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia | Bill Passed - House (224 - 191) |
| 9/20 | H Amdt 814 | Drinking and Driving Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 203) |