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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 12, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211)
Jan. 24, 1996 National S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72)
Aug. 2, 1996 National S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
Sept. 12, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
Sept. 24, 1996 National HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25)
Sept. 25, 1996 National HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123)
Sept. 27, 1996 National HR 3539 Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198)
Sept. 28, 1996 National HR 3610 Omnibus FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 37)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3953 Aviation Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (389 - 22)
Aug. 1, 1996 National HR 123 English as the National Language Bill Passed - House (259 - 169)
July 30, 1996 National HR 2391 Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (225 - 195)
July 25, 1996 National HR 3820 Campaign Finance Reform Bill Failed - House (162 - 259)
July 18, 1996 National HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (256 - 170)
July 12, 1996 National HR 3396 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Bill Passed - House (342 - 67)
June 26, 1996 National HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (269 - 147)
June 13, 1996 National HR 3610 Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (278 - 126)
June 6, 1996 National HR 3562 Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (289 - 136)
May 23, 1996 National HR 1227 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - House (281 - 144)
May 22, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - House (414 - 10)
May 21, 1996 National HR 3415 Repeal Gas Tax bill Bill Passed - House (301 - 108)
May 16, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195)
May 15, 1996 National HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Bill Passed - House (272 - 153)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/12 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211)
1/24 S 1124 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129)
8/01 HR 3103 Health Insurance Portability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2)
8/01 HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Conference Report Adopted - House (285 - 132)
8/02 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72)
8/02 S 1316 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30)
9/12 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
9/24 HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25)
9/25 HR 2202 Immigration Reform bill Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123)
9/27 HR 3539 Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198)
9/28 HR 3610 Omnibus FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 37)
8/02 HR 3953 Aviation Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (389 - 22)
8/01 HR 123 English as the National Language Bill Passed - House (259 - 169)
7/30 HR 2391 Working Families Flexibility Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (225 - 195)
7/25 HR 3820 Campaign Finance Reform Bill Failed - House (162 - 259)
7/18 HR 3734 Welfare Reform Act of 1996 Bill Passed - House (256 - 170)
7/12 HR 3396 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Bill Passed - House (342 - 67)
6/26 HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (269 - 147)
6/13 HR 3610 Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (278 - 126)
6/06 HR 3562 Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (289 - 136)
5/23 HR 1227 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - House (281 - 144)
5/22 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - House (414 - 10)
5/21 HR 3415 Repeal Gas Tax bill Bill Passed - House (301 - 108)
5/16 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195)
5/15 HR 3230 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 Bill Passed - House (272 - 153)

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