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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
Dec. 19, 1995 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 43) |
Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 2099 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY '96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 16) |
Dec. 13, 1995 | National | S J Res 44 | Deployment of US Armed Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
Dec. 12, 1995 | National | S J Res 31 | Flag Desecration | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36) |
Dec. 7, 1995 | National | HR 2076 | Appropriations bill FY96, Commerce, Justice, State | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
Dec. 7, 1995 | National | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 660 | Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
Dec. 5, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
Nov. 17, 1995 | National | S 440 | National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 16) |
Nov. 16, 1995 | National | HR 2126 | Appropriations bill FY96, Defense | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
Nov. 16, 1995 | National | H J Res 122 | Continuing Appropriation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 37) |
Nov. 15, 1995 | National | HR 2020 | Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35) |
Nov. 1, 1995 | National | HR 1868 | Appropriations bill, FY96, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 6) |
Oct. 28, 1995 | National | HR 2491 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
Oct. 19, 1995 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
Sept. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 14) |
Sept. 19, 1995 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
Sept. 14, 1995 | National | S Amdt 2478 | Naturalized Citizen Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
Sept. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
Aug. 10, 1995 | National | S Amdt 2401 | Space-Based Laser Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 41) |
July 27, 1995 | National | S 641 | Ryan White CARE Reauthorization Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
July 26, 1995 | National | S 21 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Self-Defense Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
July 21, 1995 | National | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 10) |
July 21, 1995 | National | HR 1944 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 7) |
July 11, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1497 | Small Business Impact Analysis | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
July 10, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1491 | Small Business Impact Analyses | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
June 29, 1995 | National | H Con Res 67 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 46) |
June 28, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
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 21, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1446 | Drinking and Driving Minors Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 36) |
June 20, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1437 | Motorcycle Helmet Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
June 20, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1427 | Commercial Vehicle Speed Limit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
June 15, 1995 | National | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
June 7, 1995 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
June 6, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
May 25, 1995 | National | HR 1158 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
May 25, 1995 | National | H Con Res 67 | Fiscal 1996 Budget Resolution - Adoption | Resolution Passed - Senate (57 - 42) |
May 10, 1995 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
March 23, 1995 | National | S Amdt 350 | Pay-As-You-Go Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (49 - 48) |
March 23, 1995 | National | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
March 2, 1995 | National | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (65 - 35) |
Jan. 5, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1 | Filibuster Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (76 - 19) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
12/22 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
12/19 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 43) |
12/14 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
12/14 | HR 2099 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY '96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
12/14 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 16) |
12/13 | S J Res 44 | Deployment of US Armed Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
12/12 | S J Res 31 | Flag Desecration | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36) |
12/07 | HR 2076 | Appropriations bill FY96, Commerce, Justice, State | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
12/07 | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 44) |
12/06 | HR 660 | Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
12/05 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
11/17 | S 440 | National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 16) |
11/16 | HR 2126 | Appropriations bill FY96, Defense | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
11/16 | H J Res 122 | Continuing Appropriation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 37) |
11/15 | HR 2020 | Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35) |
11/01 | HR 1868 | Appropriations bill, FY96, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 6) |
10/28 | HR 2491 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
10/19 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
9/22 | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 14) |
9/19 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12) |
9/14 | S Amdt 2478 | Naturalized Citizen Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
9/06 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
8/10 | S Amdt 2401 | Space-Based Laser Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 41) |
7/27 | S 641 | Ryan White CARE Reauthorization Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
7/26 | S 21 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Self-Defense Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
7/21 | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 10) |
7/21 | HR 1944 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 7) |
7/11 | S Amdt 1497 | Small Business Impact Analysis | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
7/10 | S Amdt 1491 | Small Business Impact Analyses | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
6/29 | H Con Res 67 | Budget FY2006 Appropriations Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 46) |
6/28 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
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) |
6/21 | S Amdt 1446 | Drinking and Driving Minors Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 36) |
6/20 | S Amdt 1437 | Motorcycle Helmet Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
6/20 | S Amdt 1427 | Commercial Vehicle Speed Limit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
6/15 | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
6/07 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8) |
6/06 | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
5/25 | HR 1158 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
5/25 | H Con Res 67 | Fiscal 1996 Budget Resolution - Adoption | Resolution Passed - Senate (57 - 42) |
5/10 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
3/23 | S Amdt 350 | Pay-As-You-Go Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (49 - 48) |
3/23 | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
3/02 | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (65 - 35) |
1/05 | S Amdt 1 | Filibuster Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (76 - 19) |