Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
July 17, 1997 National S Amdt 890 Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77)
July 15, 1997 National HR 2107 Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (238 - 192)
July 10, 1997 National S Amdt 593 Abortions at Overseas Military Facilities Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
July 9, 1997 National S Amdt 771 Base Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33)
June 26, 1997 National S Amdt 527 Family Tax Relief Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61)
June 26, 1997 National HR 2014 Budget Reconciliation Bill Bill Passed - House (253 - 179)
June 25, 1997 National S Amdt 468 Private Contracts Amendment Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35)
June 25, 1997 National S 947 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27)
June 25, 1997 National HR 2015 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - House (270 - 162)
June 25, 1997 National HR 1119 Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Bill Passed - House (304 - 120)
June 24, 1997 National H Amdt 204 Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231)
June 24, 1997 National H Amdt 203 Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148)
June 24, 1997 National H J Res 79 China Most-Favored-Nation Resolution Joint Resolution Failed - House (173 - 259)
June 23, 1997 National H Amdt 192 Border Defense Personnel Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (269 - 119)
June 23, 1997 National H Amdt 198 B-2 Bomber Program Termination Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216)
June 19, 1997 National H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
June 19, 1997 National S Amdt 416 Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
June 12, 1997 National H J Res 54 Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (310 - 114)
June 12, 1997 National HR 1871 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21)
June 12, 1997 National HR 1871 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (348 - 74)
June 5, 1997 National HR 1469 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 31)
June 5, 1997 National H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 97)
June 5, 1997 National HR 1469 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 201)
June 5, 1997 National H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
June 4, 1997 National H Amdt 138 U.S. Withdrawal from the U.N. Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 369)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/17 S Amdt 890 Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77)
7/15 HR 2107 Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (238 - 192)
7/10 S Amdt 593 Abortions at Overseas Military Facilities Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
7/09 S Amdt 771 Base Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33)
6/26 S Amdt 527 Family Tax Relief Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61)
6/26 HR 2014 Budget Reconciliation Bill Bill Passed - House (253 - 179)
6/25 S Amdt 468 Private Contracts Amendment Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35)
6/25 S 947 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27)
6/25 HR 2015 Budget Reconciliation bill Bill Passed - House (270 - 162)
6/25 HR 1119 Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Bill Passed - House (304 - 120)
6/24 H Amdt 204 Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231)
6/24 H Amdt 203 Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148)
6/24 H J Res 79 China Most-Favored-Nation Resolution Joint Resolution Failed - House (173 - 259)
6/23 H Amdt 192 Border Defense Personnel Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (269 - 119)
6/23 H Amdt 198 B-2 Bomber Program Termination Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216)
6/19 H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
6/19 S Amdt 416 Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
6/12 H J Res 54 Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (310 - 114)
6/12 HR 1871 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21)
6/12 HR 1871 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (348 - 74)
6/05 HR 1469 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 31)
6/05 H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 97)
6/05 HR 1469 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 201)
6/05 H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
6/04 H Amdt 138 U.S. Withdrawal from the U.N. Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 369)

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