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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 7, 1996 | National | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
May 2, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3840 | Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
May 2, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
May 1, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
May 1, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3780 | Asylum Seeker Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
May 1, 1996 | National | S 641 | Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4) |
April 30, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188) |
April 30, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
April 25, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25) |
April 25, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11) |
April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
April 18, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3677 | Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
April 18, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
April 17, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
April 17, 1996 | National | HR 842 | Truth in Budgeting Act | Bill Passed - House (284 - 143) |
March 29, 1996 | National | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 89) |
March 29, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
March 28, 1996 | National | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
March 28, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44) |
March 28, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Bill Passed - House (267 - 151) |
March 27, 1996 | National | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
March 22, 1996 | National | HR 125 | Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (239 - 173) |
March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
March 21, 1996 | National | S 1459 | Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47) |
March 21, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (333 - 87) |
March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 974 | Immigrant English Proficiency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (210 - 207) |
March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 968 | Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269) |
March 19, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3513 | Medical Professionals Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37) |
March 19, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
March 14, 1996 | National | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
March 14, 1996 | National | HR 2703 | Antiterrorism bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 191) |
March 12, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172) |
March 7, 1996 | National | H Amdt 947 | Lobby Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (211 - 209) |
March 7, 1996 | National | H Amdt 946 | Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222) |
March 7, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Bill Passed - House (209 - 206) |
March 6, 1996 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (336 - 86) |
March 5, 1996 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 22) |
Feb. 29, 1996 | National | H Amdt 936 | Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37) |
Feb. 29, 1996 | National | H Amdt 941 | Florida Everglades Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124) |
Feb. 29, 1996 | National | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Bill Passed - House (270 - 155) |
Feb. 28, 1996 | National | H Amdt 934 | Sugar Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 217) |
Feb. 28, 1996 | National | H Amdt 933 | Peanut Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 212) |
Feb. 28, 1996 | National | H Amdt 935 | Dairy Program Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (258 - 164) |
Feb. 7, 1996 | National | S 1541 | Farm Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
Feb. 1, 1996 | National | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 5) |
Feb. 1, 1996 | National | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (414 - 16) |
Jan. 26, 1996 | National | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34) |
Jan. 26, 1996 | National | Treaty Doc. 103-1 | The START II Treaty | Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (87 - 4) |
Jan. 24, 1996 | National | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129) |
Jan. 4, 1996 | National | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
Jan. 3, 1996 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
5/07 | HR 2137 | Megan's Law | Bill Passed - House (418 - 0) |
5/02 | S Amdt 3840 | Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
5/02 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
5/01 | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
5/01 | S Amdt 3780 | Asylum Seeker Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
5/01 | S 641 | Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4) |
4/30 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188) |
4/30 | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
4/25 | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
4/25 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25) |
4/25 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11) |
4/23 | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
4/18 | S Amdt 3677 | Deletion of Medical Savings Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
4/18 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
4/17 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
4/17 | HR 842 | Truth in Budgeting Act | Bill Passed - House (284 - 143) |
3/29 | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 89) |
3/29 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
3/28 | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
3/28 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44) |
3/28 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Bill Passed - House (267 - 151) |
3/27 | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
3/22 | HR 125 | Gun Ban Repeal Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (239 - 173) |
3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
3/21 | S 1459 | Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47) |
3/21 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (333 - 87) |
3/20 | H Amdt 974 | Immigrant English Proficiency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (210 - 207) |
3/20 | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
3/20 | H Amdt 968 | Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269) |
3/19 | S Amdt 3513 | Medical Professionals Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (63 - 37) |
3/19 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
3/14 | H Amdt 954 | Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283) |
3/14 | HR 2703 | Antiterrorism bill | Bill Passed - House (229 - 191) |
3/12 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172) |
3/07 | H Amdt 947 | Lobby Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (211 - 209) |
3/07 | H Amdt 946 | Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222) |
3/07 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Bill Passed - House (209 - 206) |
3/06 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (336 - 86) |
3/05 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 22) |
2/29 | H Amdt 936 | Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37) |
2/29 | H Amdt 941 | Florida Everglades Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124) |
2/29 | HR 2854 | Agricultural Market Transition Act | Bill Passed - House (270 - 155) |
2/28 | H Amdt 934 | Sugar Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 217) |
2/28 | H Amdt 933 | Peanut Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 212) |
2/28 | H Amdt 935 | Dairy Program Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (258 - 164) |
2/07 | S 1541 | Farm Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
2/01 | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 5) |
2/01 | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (414 - 16) |
1/26 | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34) |
1/26 | Treaty Doc. 103-1 | The START II Treaty | Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (87 - 4) |
1/24 | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129) |
1/04 | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
1/03 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156) |