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
Sept. 25, 1998 National HR 4578 Social Security Account Protection bill Bill Passed - House (240 - 188)
Sept. 25, 1998 National HR 2621 Reciprocal Trade Agreement Bill Bill Failed - House (180 - 243)
Sept. 24, 1998 National HR 3616 Defense Department FY99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - House (373 - 50)
Sept. 24, 1998 National HR 4112 Legislative Branch FY99 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65)
Sept. 24, 1998 National HR 3736 Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill Bill Passed - House (288 - 133)
Sept. 18, 1998 National HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Veto Override Failed - Senate (64 - 36)
Sept. 17, 1998 National H Amdt 907 US Army School of the Americas Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 212)
Sept. 17, 1998 National HR 4569 Appropriations Bill FY99, Foreign Operations Bill Passed - House (255 - 161)
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)
Sept. 9, 1998 National S 1873 American Missile Protection bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (59 - 41)
Sept. 3, 1998 National HR 4104 Appropriations bill FY99, Treasury, Postal Service Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 5)
Sept. 1, 1998 National S Amdt 3506 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 44)
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. 7, 1998 National HR 4380 District of Columbia FY99 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (214 - 206)
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. 6, 1998 National H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208)
Aug. 6, 1998 National HR 2183 Campaign Finance Reform bill Bill Passed - House (252 - 179)
Aug. 3, 1998 National H Amdt 690 Shays Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 186)
July 30, 1998 National S Amdt 3379 Federal Election Commission Term Length Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 54)
July 30, 1998 National H Amdt 747 Voter Registration Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 260)
July 30, 1998 National H J Res 120 Vietnam Trade Waiver Disapproval resolution Joint Resolution Failed - House (163 - 260)
July 29, 1998 National S Amdt 3359 Married Tax Filing Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (48 - 51)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/25 HR 4578 Social Security Account Protection bill Bill Passed - House (240 - 188)
9/25 HR 2621 Reciprocal Trade Agreement Bill Bill Failed - House (180 - 243)
9/24 HR 3616 Defense Department FY99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - House (373 - 50)
9/24 HR 4112 Legislative Branch FY99 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65)
9/24 HR 3736 Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill Bill Passed - House (288 - 133)
9/18 HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Veto Override Failed - Senate (64 - 36)
9/17 H Amdt 907 US Army School of the Americas Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 212)
9/17 HR 4569 Appropriations Bill FY99, Foreign Operations Bill Passed - House (255 - 161)
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)
9/09 S 1873 American Missile Protection bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (59 - 41)
9/03 HR 4104 Appropriations bill FY99, Treasury, Postal Service Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 5)
9/01 S Amdt 3506 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 44)
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)
8/07 HR 4380 District of Columbia FY99 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (214 - 206)
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)
8/06 H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208)
8/06 HR 2183 Campaign Finance Reform bill Bill Passed - House (252 - 179)
8/03 H Amdt 690 Shays Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 186)
7/30 S Amdt 3379 Federal Election Commission Term Length Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 54)
7/30 H Amdt 747 Voter Registration Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 260)
7/30 H J Res 120 Vietnam Trade Waiver Disapproval resolution Joint Resolution Failed - House (163 - 260)
7/29 S Amdt 3359 Married Tax Filing Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (48 - 51)

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