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. 7, 1997 National HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65)
Nov. 8, 1997 National HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4)
Oct. 1, 1997 National HR 2378 Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 45)
Sept. 30, 1997 National HR 2378 Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 207)
Sept. 25, 1997 National HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65)
Sept. 25, 1997 National HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
Nov. 7, 1997 National S 858 Intelligence FY98 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - House (385 - 36)
Sept. 17, 1997 National HR 2378 Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service Bill Passed - House (231 - 192)
July 29, 1997 National HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (322 - 105)
Sept. 11, 1997 National S Amdt 1122 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51)
July 31, 1997 National HR 2014 Budget Reconciliation Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
July 31, 1997 National HR 2014 Budget Reconciliation Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (389 - 43)
June 5, 1997 National H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 97)
June 5, 1997 National H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
May 23, 1997 National H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
May 21, 1997 National H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Resolution Passed - House (333 - 99)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/07 HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65)
11/08 HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4)
10/01 HR 2378 Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 45)
9/30 HR 2378 Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 207)
9/25 HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65)
9/25 HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
11/07 S 858 Intelligence FY98 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - House (385 - 36)
9/17 HR 2378 Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service Bill Passed - House (231 - 192)
7/29 HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (322 - 105)
9/11 S Amdt 1122 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51)
7/31 HR 2014 Budget Reconciliation Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
7/31 HR 2014 Budget Reconciliation Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (389 - 43)
6/05 H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 97)
6/05 H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
5/23 H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
5/21 H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Resolution Passed - House (333 - 99)

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