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
Aug. 3, 1998 National H Amdt 690 Shays Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 186)
July 20, 1998 National H Amdt 716 Noncitizen Campaign Contribution Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (267 - 131)
July 16, 1998 National H Amdt 723 Increase FEC Funding Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 210)
March 4, 1998 National HR 856 Puerto Rico Political Status bill Bill Passed - House (209 - 208)
March 30, 1998 National HR 3582 Campaign Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1998 Bill Passed - House (405 - 6)
Aug. 6, 1998 National HR 2183 Campaign Finance Reform bill Bill Passed - House (252 - 179)
July 14, 1998 National H Amdt 694 Express Advocacy Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 219)
July 20, 1998 National H Amdt 744 Labor Political Activity Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (150 - 248)
June 17, 1998 National H Amdt 688 Campaign Finance Reform Commission Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (156 - 201)
July 30, 1998 National H Amdt 747 Voter Registration Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 260)
Aug. 6, 1998 National H Amdt 862 Federal Campaign Finance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (147 - 222)
March 30, 1998 National HR 3581 Campaign Finance Reform bill Bill Failed - House (74 - 337)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/03 H Amdt 690 Shays Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (237 - 186)
7/20 H Amdt 716 Noncitizen Campaign Contribution Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (267 - 131)
7/16 H Amdt 723 Increase FEC Funding Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 210)
3/04 HR 856 Puerto Rico Political Status bill Bill Passed - House (209 - 208)
3/30 HR 3582 Campaign Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1998 Bill Passed - House (405 - 6)
8/06 HR 2183 Campaign Finance Reform bill Bill Passed - House (252 - 179)
7/14 H Amdt 694 Express Advocacy Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 219)
7/20 H Amdt 744 Labor Political Activity Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (150 - 248)
6/17 H Amdt 688 Campaign Finance Reform Commission Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (156 - 201)
7/30 H Amdt 747 Voter Registration Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 260)
8/06 H Amdt 862 Federal Campaign Finance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (147 - 222)
3/30 HR 3581 Campaign Finance Reform bill Bill Failed - House (74 - 337)

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