Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
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. 7, 1997 National HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65)
Sept. 24, 1997 National S 830 Prescription Drug bill Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
Sept. 11, 1997 National H Amdt 347 Needle Exchange Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 158)
Sept. 9, 1997 National H Amdt 335 Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201)
Sept. 4, 1997 National H Amdt 318 International Family Planning amendment Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191)
July 22, 1997 National S Amdt 936 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
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 19, 1997 National H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
April 16, 1997 National HR 1003 Assisted Suicide Bill Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
April 15, 1997 National S Amdt 31 Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
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)
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)
11/07 HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - House (352 - 65)
9/24 S 830 Prescription Drug bill Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
9/11 H Amdt 347 Needle Exchange Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 158)
9/09 H Amdt 335 Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201)
9/04 H Amdt 318 International Family Planning amendment Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191)
7/22 S Amdt 936 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
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)
6/19 H Amdt 187 Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224)
4/16 HR 1003 Assisted Suicide Bill Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 0)
4/15 S Amdt 31 Yucca Mountain Alternate Sites amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
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)
3/20 S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)

arrow_upward