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 18, 1996 National H Amdt 1307 Food Stamp Recipient Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 184)
July 25, 1996 National H Amdt 1360 Renewable Energy Research Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135)
Sept. 28, 1996 National HR 3610 Omnibus FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 37)
March 12, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172)
March 28, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44)
April 25, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25)
April 25, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
June 12, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211)
June 13, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46)
July 31, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
Sept. 12, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
Sept. 17, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
Sept. 24, 1996 National HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25)
March 19, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21)
July 9, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
July 23, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
May 22, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - House (414 - 10)
June 6, 1996 National HR 3562 Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (289 - 136)
June 13, 1996 National HR 3610 Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (278 - 126)
June 26, 1996 National HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (269 - 147)
March 7, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - House (209 - 206)
July 18, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (256 - 170)
April 17, 1996 National HR 842 Truth in Budgeting Act Bill Passed - House (284 - 143)
Feb. 7, 1996 National S 1541 Farm Bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
May 16, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195)
April 30, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188)
Jan. 4, 1996 National HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
June 6, 1996 National H Amdt 1133 Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233)
May 2, 1996 National S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
July 24, 1996 National H Amdt 1356 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236)
June 20, 1996 National H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1278 Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220)
April 30, 1996 National S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
March 7, 1996 National H Amdt 946 Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222)
July 25, 1996 National H Amdt 1359 Energy Research Appropriation Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211)
June 6, 1996 National H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/18 H Amdt 1307 Food Stamp Recipient Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 184)
7/25 H Amdt 1360 Renewable Energy Research Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135)
9/28 HR 3610 Omnibus FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 37)
3/12 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172)
3/28 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44)
4/25 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25)
4/25 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
6/12 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211)
6/13 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46)
7/31 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101)
8/01 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21)
8/02 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72)
8/02 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
9/12 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
9/17 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
9/24 HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25)
3/19 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21)
7/09 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
7/23 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
5/22 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - House (414 - 10)
6/06 HR 3562 Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (289 - 136)
6/13 HR 3610 Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (278 - 126)
6/26 HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (269 - 147)
3/07 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - House (209 - 206)
7/18 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (256 - 170)
4/17 HR 842 Truth in Budgeting Act Bill Passed - House (284 - 143)
2/07 S 1541 Farm Bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32)
5/16 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195)
4/30 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188)
1/04 HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)
3/20 H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
6/06 H Amdt 1133 Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233)
5/02 S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
7/24 H Amdt 1356 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236)
6/20 H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
7/11 H Amdt 1278 Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220)
4/30 S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
3/07 H Amdt 946 Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222)
7/25 H Amdt 1359 Energy Research Appropriation Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211)
6/06 H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35)

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