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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oct. 3, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
Sept. 27, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
Sept. 10, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
July 31, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101) |
July 23, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
July 22, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1309 | Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223) |
July 18, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 170) |
July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
July 12, 1996 | National | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
June 27, 1996 | National | H Res 468 | Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich | Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170) |
June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
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) |
June 6, 1996 | National | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
May 22, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1075 | Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248) |
May 9, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
March 29, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
March 27, 1996 | National | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
March 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
March 7, 1996 | National | H Amdt 946 | Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222) |
March 7, 1996 | National | H Amdt 947 | Lobby Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (211 - 209) |
Feb. 28, 1996 | National | H Amdt 935 | Dairy Program Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (258 - 164) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
10/03 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
9/27 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
9/10 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14) |
8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - House (392 - 30) |
8/02 | S 1316 | Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1995 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
8/01 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
8/01 | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
7/31 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - House (328 - 101) |
7/23 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
7/22 | H Amdt 1309 | Non-Federally Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 223) |
7/18 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 170) |
7/12 | H Amdt 1286 | Definition of Marriage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (103 - 311) |
7/12 | HR 3396 | Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) | Bill Passed - House (342 - 67) |
6/27 | H Res 468 | Investigation of Speaker Newt Gingrich | Resolution Tabled - House (229 - 170) |
6/20 | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
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) |
6/06 | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
5/22 | H Amdt 1075 | Disclosure of Intelligence Spending Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 248) |
5/09 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
4/23 | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
4/23 | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
3/29 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158) |
3/27 | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
3/20 | H Amdt 969 | Denying Public Education to Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Adopted - House (257 - 163) |
3/07 | H Amdt 946 | Medicaid Funded Abortions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 222) |
3/07 | H Amdt 947 | Lobby Disclosure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (211 - 209) |
2/28 | H Amdt 935 | Dairy Program Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (258 - 164) |