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
Nov. 8, 1997 National HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4)
Nov. 6, 1997 National HR 1119 Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10)
Oct. 28, 1997 National HR 2107 Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (84 - 14)
Oct. 1, 1997 National HR 2378 Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 45)
Sept. 25, 1997 National HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
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)
Sept. 4, 1997 National S Amdt 1077 Fetal Tissue Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60)
July 31, 1997 National HR 2014 Budget Reconciliation Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
July 31, 1997 National HR 2015 Budget Reconciliation bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (85 - 15)
July 22, 1997 National S Amdt 936 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
July 17, 1997 National S Amdt 890 Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77)
July 10, 1997 National S Amdt 593 Abortions at Overseas Military Facilities Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
July 9, 1997 National S Amdt 771 Base Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33)
June 26, 1997 National S Amdt 527 Family Tax Relief Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61)
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 19, 1997 National S Amdt 416 Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
June 12, 1997 National HR 1871 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21)
June 5, 1997 National H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
June 5, 1997 National HR 1469 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 31)
May 23, 1997 National S Amdt 357 Violent Crime Victims Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
May 23, 1997 National H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
May 22, 1997 National S Amdt 301 Budget Deficit Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47)
May 20, 1997 National HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 36)
April 30, 1997 National PN 82 Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
April 24, 1997 National S Res 75 Chemical Weapons Convention bill Resolution Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
April 17, 1997 National S 495 Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44)
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)
March 20, 1997 National S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
March 4, 1997 National S J Res 1 Balanced Budget amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (66 - 34)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/08 HR 2264 Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4)
11/06 HR 1119 Defense Department FY98-99 Authorization bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 10)
10/28 HR 2107 Interior Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (84 - 14)
10/01 HR 2378 Appropriations bill FY98, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 45)
9/25 HR 2266 Defense Department FY98 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
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)
9/04 S Amdt 1077 Fetal Tissue Research Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 60)
7/31 HR 2014 Budget Reconciliation Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
7/31 HR 2015 Budget Reconciliation bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (85 - 15)
7/22 S Amdt 936 Abortion Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45)
7/17 S Amdt 890 Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77)
7/10 S Amdt 593 Abortions at Overseas Military Facilities Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
7/09 S Amdt 771 Base Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 33)
6/26 S Amdt 527 Family Tax Relief Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61)
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)
6/19 S Amdt 416 Intelligence Appropriations Declassification amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
6/12 HR 1871 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21)
6/05 H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
6/05 HR 1469 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (67 - 31)
5/23 S Amdt 357 Violent Crime Victims Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
5/23 H Con Res 84 Budget Resolution FY1999-2000 Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
5/22 S Amdt 301 Budget Deficit Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47)
5/20 HR 1122 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 36)
4/30 PN 82 Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
4/24 S Res 75 Chemical Weapons Convention bill Resolution Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
4/17 S 495 Chemical and Biological Weapons Threat Reduction Act Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 44)
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)
3/20 S Amdt 25 U.S.- Mexico Drug Trafficking Prevention Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
3/04 S J Res 1 Balanced Budget amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (66 - 34)

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