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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1276 | Human Embryo Research Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1278 | Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220) |
| July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1273 | Drug Price Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242) |
| June 27, 1996 | National | H Res 468 | Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich | Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170) |
| June 26, 1996 | National | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (269 - 147) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1183 | Forest Service Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1164 | Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1167 | Spaced-based Weapons Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208) |
| June 13, 1996 | National | HR 3610 | Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 126) |
| June 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1147 | Animal Damage Control Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279) |
| June 12, 1996 | National | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1133 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | HR 3562 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (289 - 136) |
| May 23, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1085 | Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 188) |
| May 23, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1084 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 162) |
| May 23, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1085 | Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 229) |
| May 23, 1996 | National | HR 1227 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (281 - 144) |
| May 22, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1075 | Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248) |
| 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 | H Amdt 1057 | Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220) |
| May 15, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1058 | Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1276 | Human Embryo Research Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (167 - 256) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1264 | Education and Training Programs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 227) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1278 | Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 220) |
| 7/11 | H Amdt 1273 | Drug Price Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (180 - 242) |
| 6/27 | H Res 468 | Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich | Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170) |
| 6/26 | HR 3666 | Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (269 - 147) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1183 | Forest Service Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 1164 | Department of Defense Appropriations Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 219) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 1167 | Spaced-based Weapons Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 208) |
| 6/13 | HR 3610 | Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 126) |
| 6/12 | H Amdt 1147 | Animal Damage Control Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (139 - 279) |
| 6/12 | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211) |
| 6/06 | H Amdt 1133 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| 6/06 | HR 3562 | Wisconsin Welfare Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (289 - 136) |
| 5/23 | H Amdt 1085 | Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 188) |
| 5/23 | H Amdt 1084 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 162) |
| 5/23 | H Amdt 1085 | Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 229) |
| 5/23 | HR 1227 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (281 - 144) |
| 5/22 | H Amdt 1075 | Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248) |
| 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 | H Amdt 1057 | Cooperative Threat Reduction Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (202 - 220) |
| 5/15 | H Amdt 1058 | Former Soviet Union Defense Conversion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 171) |