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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| April 24, 1997 | National | S Res 75 | Chemical Weapons Convention bill | Resolution Passed - Senate (74 - 26) |
| April 16, 1997 | National | HR 1003 | Assisted Suicide Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| March 20, 1997 | National | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| March 20, 1997 | National | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 4/24 | S Res 75 | Chemical Weapons Convention bill | Resolution Passed - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 4/16 | HR 1003 | Assisted Suicide Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 25 | U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |