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. 17, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
Sept. 12, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2)
July 12, 1996 National H Amdt 1280 Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1273 Drug Price Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1276 Human Embryo Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256)
June 20, 1996 National H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
May 1, 1996 National S 641 Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4)
April 18, 1996 National S Amdt 3677 Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
March 28, 1996 National HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Bill Passed - House (267 - 151)
Feb. 29, 1996 National H Amdt 936 Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37)
Feb. 29, 1996 National H Amdt 941 Florida Everglades Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/17 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
9/12 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
8/02 HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0)
8/01 HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2)
7/12 H Amdt 1280 Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193)
7/11 H Amdt 1273 Drug Price Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242)
7/11 H Amdt 1276 Human Embryo Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256)
6/20 H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
5/01 S 641 Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4)
4/18 S Amdt 3677 Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
3/28 HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Bill Passed - House (267 - 151)
2/29 H Amdt 936 Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37)
2/29 H Amdt 941 Florida Everglades Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124)

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