Key Votes

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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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 25, 1996 National S 1219 Campaign Finance Reform bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 46)
April 23, 1996 National S J Res 21 Term Limits bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
May 22, 1996 National H Amdt 1075 Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248)
June 13, 1996 National H Amdt 1164 Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219)
June 13, 1996 National H Amdt 1167 Spaced-based Weapons Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208)
June 12, 1996 National H Amdt 1147 Animal Damage Control Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279)
June 20, 1996 National H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
March 14, 1996 National H Amdt 954 Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283)
May 2, 1996 National S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
March 7, 1996 National H Amdt 946 Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222)
July 9, 1996 National S Amdt 4435 Minimum Wage Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
June 6, 1996 National H Amdt 1133 Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
Feb. 28, 1996 National H Amdt 933 Peanut Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 212)
Feb. 28, 1996 National H Amdt 934 Sugar Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 217)
April 30, 1996 National S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
July 22, 1996 National H Amdt 1309 Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223)
May 23, 1996 National H Amdt 1085 Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 229)
July 24, 1996 National H Amdt 1356 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236)
July 25, 1996 National H Amdt 1359 Energy Research Appropriation Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211)
May 15, 1996 National H Amdt 1057 Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1278 Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1273 Drug Price Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242)
July 12, 1996 National H Amdt 1286 Definition of Marriage Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1276 Human Embryo Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256)
July 11, 1996 National H Amdt 1264 Education and Training Programs Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227)
June 6, 1996 National H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35)
July 25, 1996 National HR 3820 Campaign Finance Reform Bill Failed - House (162 - 259)
Sept. 10, 1996 National S 2056 Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/25 S 1219 Campaign Finance Reform bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 46)
4/23 S J Res 21 Term Limits bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
5/22 H Amdt 1075 Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248)
6/13 H Amdt 1164 Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219)
6/13 H Amdt 1167 Spaced-based Weapons Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208)
6/12 H Amdt 1147 Animal Damage Control Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279)
6/20 H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
3/14 H Amdt 954 Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283)
5/02 S Amdt 3840 Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60)
3/07 H Amdt 946 Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222)
7/09 S Amdt 4435 Minimum Wage Increase Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
6/06 H Amdt 1133 Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233)
3/20 H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
2/28 H Amdt 933 Peanut Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 212)
2/28 H Amdt 934 Sugar Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 217)
4/30 S Amdt 3820 Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
7/22 H Amdt 1309 Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223)
5/23 H Amdt 1085 Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 229)
7/24 H Amdt 1356 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236)
7/25 H Amdt 1359 Energy Research Appropriation Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211)
5/15 H Amdt 1057 Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220)
7/11 H Amdt 1278 Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220)
7/11 H Amdt 1273 Drug Price Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242)
7/12 H Amdt 1286 Definition of Marriage Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311)
7/11 H Amdt 1276 Human Embryo Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256)
7/11 H Amdt 1264 Education and Training Programs Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227)
6/06 H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35)
7/25 HR 3820 Campaign Finance Reform Bill Failed - House (162 - 259)
9/10 S 2056 Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50)

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