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:
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.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
July 15, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1250 | Patient Lawsuit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 47) |
July 15, 1999 | National | S 1344 | Patient Bill of Rights bill | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 47) |
July 14, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
July 14, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
June 22, 1999 | National | S Amdt 702 | Patients' Bill of Rights Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
June 9, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2451 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
June 4, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2438 | Underage Tobacco Usage amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (29 - 66) |
April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
March 31, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2168 | Tobacco Immunity Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
Feb. 11, 1998 | National | S 1601 | Human Cloning Research bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (42 - 54) |
Feb. 10, 1998 | National | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
Sept. 24, 1997 | National | S 830 | Prescription Drug bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2) |
July 22, 1997 | National | S Amdt 936 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
June 25, 1997 | National | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
April 16, 1997 | National | HR 1003 | Assisted Suicide Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
April 15, 1997 | National | S Amdt 31 | Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
April 15, 1997 | National | S 104 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
March 20, 1997 | National | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
Sept. 17, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
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. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
April 18, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3677 | Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
July 27, 1995 | National | S 641 | Ryan White CARE Reauthorization Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
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) |
June 30, 1994 | National | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
Feb. 8, 1994 | National | S Amdt 1390 | Contraceptives Distribution Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59) |
Nov. 9, 1993 | National | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9) |
Oct. 18, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
Sept. 22, 1993 | National | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
Sept. 8, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40) |
Sept. 7, 1993 | National | PN 452 | M. Joycelyn Elders, United States Surgeon General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 34) |
Aug. 3, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
May 4, 1993 | National | S 171 | Department of the Environment Act | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 15) |
Feb. 18, 1993 | National | S Amdt 39 | Prohibiting Immigrants with AIDS from entering the United States | Amendment Adopted - Senate (76 - 23) |
April 2, 1992 | National | S Amdt 1757 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Human Sexual Behavior Surveys | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |
April 2, 1992 | National | S Amdt 1757 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Human Sexual Behavior Surveys | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
7/15 | S Amdt 1250 | Patient Lawsuit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 47) |
7/15 | S 1344 | Patient Bill of Rights bill | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 47) |
7/14 | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
7/14 | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
6/22 | S Amdt 702 | Patients' Bill of Rights Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
6/09 | S Amdt 2451 | Illegal Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
6/04 | S Amdt 2438 | Underage Tobacco Usage amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (29 - 66) |
4/01 | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
3/31 | S Amdt 2168 | Tobacco Immunity Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
2/11 | S 1601 | Human Cloning Research bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (42 - 54) |
2/10 | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
9/24 | S 830 | Prescription Drug bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2) |
7/22 | S Amdt 936 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
6/25 | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
4/16 | HR 1003 | Assisted Suicide Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
4/15 | S Amdt 31 | Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
4/15 | S 104 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
3/20 | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
9/17 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
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) |
8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
4/18 | S Amdt 3677 | Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
7/27 | S 641 | Ryan White CARE Reauthorization Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
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) |
6/30 | HR 4506 | Appropriations Bill FY95, Energy and Water Development | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
2/08 | S Amdt 1390 | Contraceptives Distribution Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59) |
11/09 | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9) |
10/18 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
9/29 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
9/22 | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
9/08 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40) |
9/07 | PN 452 | M. Joycelyn Elders, United States Surgeon General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 34) |
8/03 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
5/04 | S 171 | Department of the Environment Act | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 15) |
2/18 | S Amdt 39 | Prohibiting Immigrants with AIDS from entering the United States | Amendment Adopted - Senate (76 - 23) |
4/02 | S Amdt 1757 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Human Sexual Behavior Surveys | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |
4/02 | S Amdt 1757 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Human Sexual Behavior Surveys | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |