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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nov. 8, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1132 | Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Minors | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 41) |
Feb. 25, 1998 | National | H Amdt 497 | Death Sentence Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300) |
Nov. 17, 1993 | National | S Amdt 1204 | Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74) |
April 14, 1994 | National | H Amdt 503 | Death Penalty Removal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (111 - 314) |
March 14, 1996 | National | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
April 17, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
April 18, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
July 20, 2007 | National | HR 2669 | Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18) |
April 21, 1994 | National | HR 4092 | Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 | Bill Passed - House (285 - 141) |
June 7, 1995 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
May 18, 2017 | National | HR 115 | Thin Blue Line Act | Bill Passed - House (271 - 143) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
11/08 | S Amdt 1132 | Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Minors | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 41) |
2/25 | H Amdt 497 | Death Sentence Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 300) |
11/17 | S Amdt 1204 | Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74) |
4/14 | H Amdt 503 | Death Penalty Removal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (111 - 314) |
3/14 | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
4/17 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
4/18 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
7/20 | HR 2669 | Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18) |
4/21 | HR 4092 | Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 | Bill Passed - House (285 - 141) |
6/07 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
5/18 | HR 115 | Thin Blue Line Act | Bill Passed - House (271 - 143) |