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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Bill Passed - House (352 - 64) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2616 | Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 | Bill Passed - House (367 - 57) |
| Nov. 6, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| Oct. 30, 1997 | National | HR 1270 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - House (307 - 120) |
| Oct. 28, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| Oct. 22, 1997 | National | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| Oct. 6, 1997 | National | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 18) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Sept. 25, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| Sept. 24, 1997 | National | S 830 | Prescription Drug bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2) |
| Sept. 11, 1997 | National | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| Sept. 11, 1997 | National | H Amdt 347 | Needle Exchange Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 158) |
| Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| July 29, 1997 | National | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| July 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 271 | Tobacco Crops Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216) |
| July 24, 1997 | National | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 32) |
| July 9, 1997 | National | S Amdt 771 | Base Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (304 - 120) |
| June 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 203 | Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148) |
| June 24, 1997 | National | H Amdt 204 | Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231) |
| June 23, 1997 | National | H Amdt 198 | B-2 Bomber Program Termination Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216) |
| May 16, 1997 | National | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| May 14, 1997 | National | HR 2 | Public Housing bill | Bill Passed - House (293 - 132) |
| April 17, 1997 | National | S 495 | Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44) |
| April 16, 1997 | National | HR 1003 | Assisted Suicide Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| April 15, 1997 | National | S 104 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| April 10, 1997 | National | HR 1003 | Assisted Suicide Bill | Bill Passed - House (398 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 11/08 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Bill Passed - House (352 - 64) |
| 11/07 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| 11/07 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65) |
| 11/07 | HR 2616 | Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 | Bill Passed - House (367 - 57) |
| 11/06 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 10/30 | HR 1270 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - House (307 - 120) |
| 10/28 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (286 - 123) |
| 10/22 | HR 1534 | Private Property Rights bill | Bill Passed - House (248 - 178) |
| 10/06 | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 18) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 9/25 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (356 - 65) |
| 9/24 | S 830 | Prescription Drug bill | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2) |
| 9/11 | S Amdt 1122 | Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 9/11 | H Amdt 347 | Needle Exchange Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 158) |
| 9/04 | H Amdt 314 | Army School of the Americas amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (210 - 217) |
| 7/29 | HR 2266 | Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (322 - 105) |
| 7/24 | H Amdt 271 | Tobacco Crops Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216) |
| 7/24 | HR 2160 | Agriculture FY98 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 32) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 771 | Base Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33) |
| 6/25 | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 6/25 | HR 1119 | Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill | Bill Passed - House (304 - 120) |
| 6/24 | H Amdt 203 | Bosnia Deployment Termination Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (278 - 148) |
| 6/24 | H Amdt 204 | Bosnia Deployment Extension Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 231) |
| 6/23 | H Amdt 198 | B-2 Bomber Program Termination Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (209 - 216) |
| 5/16 | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 60) |
| 5/14 | HR 2 | Public Housing bill | Bill Passed - House (293 - 132) |
| 4/17 | S 495 | Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44) |
| 4/16 | HR 1003 | Assisted Suicide Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| 4/15 | S 104 | Nuclear Waste Disposal bill | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| 4/10 | HR 1003 | Assisted Suicide Bill | Bill Passed - House (398 - 16) |