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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sept. 17, 1996 | National | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
July 23, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
July 9, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
June 13, 1996 | National | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
June 6, 1996 | National | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
May 2, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3840 | Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
April 30, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
April 25, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11) |
March 28, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44) |
March 19, 1996 | National | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
Feb. 7, 1996 | National | S 1541 | Farm Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
9/17 | HR 3816 | Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8) |
8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
8/01 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
7/23 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
7/09 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
6/13 | H Con Res 178 | Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46) |
6/06 | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
5/02 | S Amdt 3840 | Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
4/30 | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
4/25 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11) |
3/28 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 44) |
3/19 | HR 3019 | Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
2/07 | S 1541 | Farm Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |