Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
Sept. 29, 1994 National HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 86)
Sept. 28, 1994 National HR 4602 Interior Department FY95 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
Sept. 27, 1994 National HR 4624 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 9)
Sept. 13, 1994 National S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 18)
Sept. 12, 1994 National HR 4624 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Conference Report Adopted - House (313 - 61)
Aug. 17, 1994 National S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 137)
Aug. 11, 1994 National HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 14)
Aug. 4, 1994 National HR 4624 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 9)
July 29, 1994 National PN 1399 Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (87 - 9)
July 22, 1994 National H Amdt 778 Prohibiting Benefits to Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 176)
July 22, 1994 National H Amdt 778 Prohibiting Benefits to Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 176)
July 21, 1994 National H Amdt 771 Limiting Entitlement Program Expenditures Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233)
July 20, 1994 National S Amdt 2320 Department of Agriculture Homosexual Policy Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 41)
July 12, 1994 National S 55 Striker Replacement Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
July 1, 1994 National HR 4454 Legislative Branch FY95 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 27)
June 29, 1994 National S Amdt 2117 Military Operations in Haiti Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 65)
June 29, 1994 National HR 4624 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Bill Passed - House (344 - 84)
June 29, 1994 National HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (330 - 91)
June 9, 1994 National H Amdt 611 Lifting Arms Embargo on Bosnia Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (244 - 178)
May 26, 1994 National HR 4454 Legislative Branch FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (210 - 205)
May 23, 1994 National H Amdt 570 Ending Requirement for Selective Service Registration Amendment Rejected - House (125 - 273)
April 19, 1994 National PN 1210 Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Retiring Nomination Confirmed - Senate (54 - 43)
March 24, 1994 National H Amdt 491 Homosexuality Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 194)
Feb. 10, 1994 National H Amdt 436 Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188)
Feb. 8, 1994 National S Amdt 1390 Contraceptives Distribution Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/29 HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (327 - 86)
9/28 HR 4602 Interior Department FY95 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7)
9/27 HR 4624 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 9)
9/13 S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 18)
9/12 HR 4624 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Conference Report Adopted - House (313 - 61)
8/17 S 2182 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 137)
8/11 HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 14)
8/04 HR 4624 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 9)
7/29 PN 1399 Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (87 - 9)
7/22 H Amdt 778 Prohibiting Benefits to Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 176)
7/22 H Amdt 778 Prohibiting Benefits to Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 176)
7/21 H Amdt 771 Limiting Entitlement Program Expenditures Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233)
7/20 S Amdt 2320 Department of Agriculture Homosexual Policy Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 41)
7/12 S 55 Striker Replacement Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
7/01 HR 4454 Legislative Branch FY95 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 27)
6/29 S Amdt 2117 Military Operations in Haiti Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 65)
6/29 HR 4624 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Bill Passed - House (344 - 84)
6/29 HR 4650 Defense FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (330 - 91)
6/09 H Amdt 611 Lifting Arms Embargo on Bosnia Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (244 - 178)
5/26 HR 4454 Legislative Branch FY95 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (210 - 205)
5/23 H Amdt 570 Ending Requirement for Selective Service Registration Amendment Rejected - House (125 - 273)
4/19 PN 1210 Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Retiring Nomination Confirmed - Senate (54 - 43)
3/24 H Amdt 491 Homosexuality Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 194)
2/10 H Amdt 436 Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188)
2/08 S Amdt 1390 Contraceptives Distribution Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59)

arrow_upward