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
Nov. 23, 1993 National HR 1025 Brady Handgun Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (238 - 187)
Nov. 20, 1993 National HR 1025 Brady Handgun Bill Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 36)
Nov. 19, 1993 National HR 3351 Youth Offenders Alternative Punishment Bill Passed - House (336 - 82)
Nov. 18, 1993 National HR 796 Abortion Clinic Access Bill Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246)
Nov. 17, 1993 National S Amdt 1204 Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74)
Nov. 17, 1993 National S Amdt 1152 Prohibiting the Possession of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43)
Nov. 10, 1993 National H Amdt 390 Instant Background Checks for Gun Purchase Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 192)
Nov. 10, 1993 National HR 1025 Brady Handgun Bill Bill Passed - House (238 - 189)
Nov. 9, 1993 National S Amdt 1151 Improving Fingerprint Systems Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51)
Nov. 8, 1993 National S Amdt 1132 Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Minors Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 41)
Nov. 5, 1993 National S Amdt 1117 Charging Teens as Adults for Crimes Involving a Firearm Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 23)
Oct. 19, 1993 National HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Conference Report Adopted - House (341 - 89)
Sept. 29, 1993 National HR 2401 Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill Bill Passed - House (268 - 162)
Sept. 29, 1993 National HR 2401 Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill Bill Passed - House (268 - 162)
Sept. 22, 1993 National HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9)
July 27, 1993 National HR 2667 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations, 1993 Bill Passed - House (400 - 27)
June 29, 1993 National HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Bill Passed - House (313 - 110)
May 19, 1993 National HR 820 National Competitiveness Act of 1993 Bill Passed - House (243 - 167)
May 11, 1993 National HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36)
May 5, 1993 National HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 164)
March 17, 1993 National HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
Feb. 4, 1993 National HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (259 - 160)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/23 HR 1025 Brady Handgun Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (238 - 187)
11/20 HR 1025 Brady Handgun Bill Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 36)
11/19 HR 3351 Youth Offenders Alternative Punishment Bill Passed - House (336 - 82)
11/18 HR 796 Abortion Clinic Access Bill Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246)
11/17 S Amdt 1204 Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74)
11/17 S Amdt 1152 Prohibiting the Possession of Semi-Automatic Assault Weapons Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43)
11/10 H Amdt 390 Instant Background Checks for Gun Purchase Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 192)
11/10 HR 1025 Brady Handgun Bill Bill Passed - House (238 - 189)
11/09 S Amdt 1151 Improving Fingerprint Systems Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51)
11/08 S Amdt 1132 Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Minors Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 41)
11/05 S Amdt 1117 Charging Teens as Adults for Crimes Involving a Firearm Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 23)
10/19 HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Conference Report Adopted - House (341 - 89)
9/29 HR 2401 Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill Bill Passed - House (268 - 162)
9/29 HR 2401 Fiscal Year 1994 Defense Authorization Bill Bill Passed - House (268 - 162)
9/22 HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9)
7/27 HR 2667 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations, 1993 Bill Passed - House (400 - 27)
6/29 HR 2491 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 Bill Passed - House (313 - 110)
5/19 HR 820 National Competitiveness Act of 1993 Bill Passed - House (243 - 167)
5/11 HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36)
5/05 HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 164)
3/17 HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
2/04 HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (259 - 160)

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