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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 4, 1996 | National | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
Sept. 12, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29) |
Sept. 17, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
April 30, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188) |
Jan. 3, 1996 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156) |
Jan. 26, 1996 | National | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34) |
Jan. 24, 1996 | National | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129) |
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) |
July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
Sept. 27, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
Oct. 3, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
June 13, 1996 | National | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
June 12, 1996 | National | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
March 27, 1996 | National | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
Sept. 28, 1996 | National | HR 3610 | Omnibus FY97 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 37) |
Sept. 19, 1996 | National | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137) |
Sept. 26, 1996 | National | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Failed - Senate (58 - 40) |
March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
March 29, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
May 1, 1996 | National | S 641 | Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
1/04 | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
9/12 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29) |
9/17 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
4/30 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188) |
1/03 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156) |
1/26 | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (56 - 34) |
1/24 | S 1124 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - House (287 - 129) |
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) |
7/12 | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
9/27 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
10/03 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
6/13 | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
6/12 | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
8/01 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (421 - 2) |
8/02 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
3/27 | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
9/28 | HR 3610 | Omnibus FY97 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 37) |
9/19 | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137) |
9/26 | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Failed - Senate (58 - 40) |
3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
3/29 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
5/01 | S 641 | Ryan White CARE reauthorization Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (402 - 4) |
8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |