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
May 9, 1996 National HR 956 Product Liability bill Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163)
Sept. 19, 1996 National HR 1833 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137)
Jan. 3, 1996 National HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156)
Jan. 4, 1996 National HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)
April 30, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188)
June 27, 1996 National H Res 468 Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170)
Feb. 28, 1996 National H Amdt 934 Sugar Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 217)
Feb. 28, 1996 National H Amdt 935 Dairy Program Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (258 - 164)
Feb. 28, 1996 National H Amdt 933 Peanut Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 212)
Feb. 29, 1996 National H Amdt 941 Florida Everglades Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124)
Feb. 29, 1996 National H Amdt 936 Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37)
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 14, 1996 National H Amdt 954 Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 974 Immigrant English Proficiency Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (210 - 207)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
March 20, 1996 National H Amdt 969 Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163)
May 15, 1996 National H Amdt 1058 Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171)
May 15, 1996 National H Amdt 1057 Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220)
May 22, 1996 National H Amdt 1075 Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248)
July 25, 1996 National H Amdt 1359 Energy Research Appropriation Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211)
July 25, 1996 National H Amdt 1360 Renewable Energy Research Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135)
July 24, 1996 National H Amdt 1356 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236)
July 22, 1996 National H Amdt 1309 Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223)
July 18, 1996 National H Amdt 1307 Food Stamp Recipient Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 184)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/09 HR 956 Product Liability bill Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163)
9/19 HR 1833 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137)
1/03 HR 1530 Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156)
1/04 HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)
4/30 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188)
6/27 H Res 468 Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170)
2/28 H Amdt 934 Sugar Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (208 - 217)
2/28 H Amdt 935 Dairy Program Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (258 - 164)
2/28 H Amdt 933 Peanut Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 212)
2/29 H Amdt 941 Florida Everglades Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (299 - 124)
2/29 H Amdt 936 Agricultural Conservation Programs Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (372 - 37)
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)
3/14 H Amdt 954 Habeas Corpus Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (135 - 283)
3/20 H Amdt 974 Immigrant English Proficiency Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (210 - 207)
3/20 H Amdt 968 Immigrant Public Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (151 - 269)
3/20 H Amdt 969 Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163)
5/15 H Amdt 1058 Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171)
5/15 H Amdt 1057 Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220)
5/22 H Amdt 1075 Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248)
7/25 H Amdt 1359 Energy Research Appropriation Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211)
7/25 H Amdt 1360 Renewable Energy Research Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135)
7/24 H Amdt 1356 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236)
7/22 H Amdt 1309 Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223)
7/18 H Amdt 1307 Food Stamp Recipient Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 184)

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