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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Dec. 20, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| Dec. 19, 1995 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 43) |
| Dec. 15, 1995 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - House (267 - 149) |
| Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
| Dec. 13, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181) |
| Dec. 13, 1995 | National | S J Res 44 | Deployment of US Armed Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| Dec. 13, 1995 | National | HR 2770 | Troop Deployment in Bosnia Bill | Bill Failed - House (210 - 218) |
| Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 660 | Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| Dec. 5, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| Nov. 17, 1995 | National | S 440 | National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 16) |
| Nov. 17, 1995 | National | HR 2606 | U.S. Troops in Bosnia Funding Bill | Bill Passed - House (243 - 171) |
| Nov. 16, 1995 | National | HR 2126 | Appropriations bill FY96, Defense | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
| Nov. 16, 1995 | National | HR 2126 | Appropriations bill FY96, Defense | Conference Report Adopted - House (270 - 158) |
| Nov. 2, 1995 | National | HR 2546 | Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia | Bill Passed - House (224 - 191) |
| Oct. 30, 1995 | National | H Res 247 | Bosnia Troop Deployment Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (315 - 103) |
| Oct. 12, 1995 | National | HR 1976 | Appropriations bill FY96, Agriculture | Conference Report Adopted - House (288 - 132) |
| Sept. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 14) |
| Sept. 20, 1995 | National | H Amdt 814 | Drinking and Driving Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 203) |
| Sept. 20, 1995 | National | H Amdt 808 | Repeal National Speed Limit Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (112 - 313) |
| Sept. 20, 1995 | National | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (326 - 98) |
| Sept. 7, 1995 | National | HR 2126 | Appropriations bill FY96, Defense | Bill Passed - House (294 - 125) |
| Sept. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| Aug. 10, 1995 | National | S Amdt 2401 | Space-Based Laser Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 41) |
| Aug. 3, 1995 | National | H Amdt 725 | Corporation for Public Broadcasting Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (136 - 286) |
| July 27, 1995 | National | S 641 | Ryan White CARE Reauthorization Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
| July 21, 1995 | National | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 10) |
| July 18, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (244 - 181) |
| June 28, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| June 22, 1995 | National | PN 245 | Henry W. Foster Jr., Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 43) |
| June 21, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1446 | Drinking and Driving Minors Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 36) |
| June 21, 1995 | National | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (319 - 105) |
| June 20, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1437 | Motorcycle Helmet Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| June 20, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1427 | Commercial Vehicle Speed Limit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| June 15, 1995 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - House (300 - 126) |
| June 15, 1995 | National | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| March 8, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (325 - 99) |
| March 3, 1995 | National | HR 925 | Private Property Protection Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 148) |
| Feb. 28, 1995 | National | HR 1022 | Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (286 - 141) |
| Feb. 16, 1995 | National | HR 7 | Limiting U.S. Monetary and Troop Assistance to the United Nations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 181) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 12/20 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| 12/19 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 43) |
| 12/15 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Conference Report Adopted - House (267 - 149) |
| 12/14 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 12/13 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181) |
| 12/13 | S J Res 44 | Deployment of US Armed Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 12/13 | HR 2770 | Troop Deployment in Bosnia Bill | Bill Failed - House (210 - 218) |
| 12/06 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| 12/06 | HR 660 | Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| 12/05 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| 11/17 | S 440 | National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 16) |
| 11/17 | HR 2606 | U.S. Troops in Bosnia Funding Bill | Bill Passed - House (243 - 171) |
| 11/16 | HR 2126 | Appropriations bill FY96, Defense | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 11/16 | HR 2126 | Appropriations bill FY96, Defense | Conference Report Adopted - House (270 - 158) |
| 11/02 | HR 2546 | Appropriations Bill FY 96, District of Columbia | Bill Passed - House (224 - 191) |
| 10/30 | H Res 247 | Bosnia Troop Deployment Resolution | Resolution Passed - House (315 - 103) |
| 10/12 | HR 1976 | Appropriations bill FY96, Agriculture | Conference Report Adopted - House (288 - 132) |
| 9/22 | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 14) |
| 9/20 | H Amdt 814 | Drinking and Driving Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 203) |
| 9/20 | H Amdt 808 | Repeal National Speed Limit Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (112 - 313) |
| 9/20 | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (326 - 98) |
| 9/07 | HR 2126 | Appropriations bill FY96, Defense | Bill Passed - House (294 - 125) |
| 9/06 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| 8/10 | S Amdt 2401 | Space-Based Laser Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 8/03 | H Amdt 725 | Corporation for Public Broadcasting Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (136 - 286) |
| 7/27 | S 641 | Ryan White CARE Reauthorization Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
| 7/21 | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 10) |
| 7/18 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (244 - 181) |
| 6/28 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 6/22 | PN 245 | Henry W. Foster Jr., Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 43) |
| 6/21 | S Amdt 1446 | Drinking and Driving Minors Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 36) |
| 6/21 | HR 1817 | Military Construction FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (319 - 105) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 1437 | Motorcycle Helmet Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 1427 | Commercial Vehicle Speed Limit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 6/15 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Bill Passed - House (300 - 126) |
| 6/15 | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 3/08 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (325 - 99) |
| 3/03 | HR 925 | Private Property Protection Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 148) |
| 2/28 | HR 1022 | Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - House (286 - 141) |
| 2/16 | HR 7 | Limiting U.S. Monetary and Troop Assistance to the United Nations | Bill Passed - House (241 - 181) |