Key Votes

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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
Oct. 13, 1998 National S 1260 Securities Litigation Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82)
Sept. 25, 1998 National HR 2621 Reciprocal Trade Agreement Bill Bill Failed - House (180 - 243)
Sept. 24, 1998 National HR 3736 Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill Bill Passed - House (288 - 133)
July 30, 1998 National H J Res 120 Vietnam Trade Waiver Disapproval resolution Joint Resolution Failed - House (163 - 260)
July 22, 1998 National H J Res 121 Disapproval of 'Normal Trade Relations' Status with China Joint Resolution Failed - House (166 - 264)
May 13, 1998 National H Amdt 621 Enhance Banking Flexibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (140 - 281)
May 13, 1998 National S 1260 Securities Litigation Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21)
May 13, 1998 National HR 10 Financial Services Act of 1998 Bill Passed - House (214 - 213)
March 11, 1998 National HR 1432 African Growth bill Bill Passed - House (233 - 186)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/13 S 1260 Securities Litigation Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82)
9/25 HR 2621 Reciprocal Trade Agreement Bill Bill Failed - House (180 - 243)
9/24 HR 3736 Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill Bill Passed - House (288 - 133)
7/30 H J Res 120 Vietnam Trade Waiver Disapproval resolution Joint Resolution Failed - House (163 - 260)
7/22 H J Res 121 Disapproval of 'Normal Trade Relations' Status with China Joint Resolution Failed - House (166 - 264)
5/13 H Amdt 621 Enhance Banking Flexibility Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (140 - 281)
5/13 S 1260 Securities Litigation Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21)
5/13 HR 10 Financial Services Act of 1998 Bill Passed - House (214 - 213)
3/11 HR 1432 African Growth bill Bill Passed - House (233 - 186)

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