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
Jan. 5, 1995 National S Amdt 1 Filibuster Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (76 - 19)
July 10, 1995 National S Amdt 1491 Small Business Impact Analyses Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 36)
June 21, 1995 National S Amdt 1446 Drinking and Driving Minors Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 36)
July 11, 1995 National S Amdt 1497 Small Business Impact Analysis Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45)
Sept. 20, 1995 National H Amdt 814 Drinking and Driving Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 203)
Dec. 22, 1995 National HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
Nov. 15, 1995 National HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35)
Dec. 21, 1995 National HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (245 - 178)
Nov. 15, 1995 National HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 52)
May 10, 1995 National HR 956 Product Liability bill Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
Sept. 19, 1995 National HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
July 19, 1995 National HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Bill Passed - House (216 - 211)
Feb. 28, 1995 National HR 1022 Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (286 - 141)
March 23, 1995 National S 4 Line-Item Veto bill Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29)
March 24, 1995 National HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (234 - 199)
May 16, 1995 National HR 961 Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and Management Act Bill Passed - House (240 - 185)
June 28, 1995 National H J Res 79 Flag Desecration bill Joint Resolution Passed - House (312 - 120)
Jan. 26, 1995 National H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (300 - 132)
Oct. 31, 1995 National HR 2492 Appropriations Bill FY96, Legislative Branch Bill Passed - House (315 - 106)
Nov. 2, 1995 National HR 2546 Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia Bill Passed - House (224 - 191)
Nov. 29, 1995 National HR 2564 Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (421 - 0)
Feb. 6, 1995 National HR 2 Line Item Veto Act Bill Passed - House (294 - 134)
Feb. 14, 1995 National HR 728 Anti-Crime bill Bill Passed - House (238 - 192)
June 22, 1995 National PN 245 Henry W. Foster Jr., Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 43)
Nov. 28, 1995 National H Amdt 903 Prohibit Federal Funds for Lobbying Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 238)
Nov. 28, 1995 National H Amdt 903 Prohibit Federal Funds for Lobbying Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 238)
March 2, 1995 National H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (65 - 35)
Dec. 12, 1995 National S J Res 31 Flag Desecration Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36)
March 29, 1995 National H J Res 73 Term Limits bill Joint Resolution Failed - House (227 - 204)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/05 S Amdt 1 Filibuster Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (76 - 19)
7/10 S Amdt 1491 Small Business Impact Analyses Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 36)
6/21 S Amdt 1446 Drinking and Driving Minors Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 36)
7/11 S Amdt 1497 Small Business Impact Analysis Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45)
9/20 H Amdt 814 Drinking and Driving Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 203)
12/22 HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
11/15 HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35)
12/21 HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (245 - 178)
11/15 HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 52)
5/10 HR 956 Product Liability bill Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
9/19 HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
7/19 HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Bill Passed - House (216 - 211)
2/28 HR 1022 Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (286 - 141)
3/23 S 4 Line-Item Veto bill Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29)
3/24 HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (234 - 199)
5/16 HR 961 Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and Management Act Bill Passed - House (240 - 185)
6/28 H J Res 79 Flag Desecration bill Joint Resolution Passed - House (312 - 120)
1/26 H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (300 - 132)
10/31 HR 2492 Appropriations Bill FY96, Legislative Branch Bill Passed - House (315 - 106)
11/02 HR 2546 Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia Bill Passed - House (224 - 191)
11/29 HR 2564 Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 Bill Passed - House (421 - 0)
2/06 HR 2 Line Item Veto Act Bill Passed - House (294 - 134)
2/14 HR 728 Anti-Crime bill Bill Passed - House (238 - 192)
6/22 PN 245 Henry W. Foster Jr., Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 43)
11/28 H Amdt 903 Prohibit Federal Funds for Lobbying Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 238)
11/28 H Amdt 903 Prohibit Federal Funds for Lobbying Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 238)
3/02 H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (65 - 35)
12/12 S J Res 31 Flag Desecration Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36)
3/29 H J Res 73 Term Limits bill Joint Resolution Failed - House (227 - 204)

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