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
Sept. 28, 1996 National HR 3610 Omnibus FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 37)
Sept. 24, 1996 National HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25)
Sept. 17, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
Sept. 12, 1996 National HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72)
Aug. 2, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
July 25, 1996 National H Amdt 1359 Energy Research Appropriation Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211)
July 25, 1996 National H Amdt 1360 Renewable Energy Research Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135)
July 24, 1996 National H Amdt 1356 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236)
July 9, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
June 26, 1996 National HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (269 - 147)
June 20, 1996 National PN 951 Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman Nomination Confirmed - Senate (91 - 7)
June 20, 1996 National PN 953 Alice M. Rivlin, Federal Reserve Vice-Chair Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 41)
June 20, 1996 National H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
June 13, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46)
June 13, 1996 National HR 3610 Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (278 - 126)
June 12, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211)
June 6, 1996 National H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35)
May 22, 1996 National HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - House (414 - 10)
May 21, 1996 National HR 3415 Repeal Gas Tax bill Bill Passed - House (301 - 108)
May 16, 1996 National H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195)
April 30, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188)
April 25, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25)
April 25, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
April 17, 1996 National HR 842 Truth in Budgeting Act Bill Passed - House (284 - 143)
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)
March 12, 1996 National HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172)
March 7, 1996 National HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - House (209 - 206)
Jan. 4, 1996 National HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/28 HR 3610 Omnibus FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 37)
9/24 HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (388 - 25)
9/17 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 8)
9/12 HR 3816 Appropriations bill FY97, Energy and Water Development Conference Report Adopted - House (383 - 29)
8/02 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - House (354 - 72)
8/02 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
7/25 H Amdt 1359 Energy Research Appropriation Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (198 - 211)
7/25 H Amdt 1360 Renewable Energy Research Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (279 - 135)
7/24 H Amdt 1356 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (184 - 236)
7/09 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
6/26 HR 3666 Veterans Affairs, HUD FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (269 - 147)
6/20 PN 951 Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman Nomination Confirmed - Senate (91 - 7)
6/20 PN 953 Alice M. Rivlin, Federal Reserve Vice-Chair Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 41)
6/20 H Amdt 1183 Forest Service Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (211 - 211)
6/13 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 46)
6/13 HR 3610 Defense Department FY97 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (278 - 126)
6/12 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (216 - 211)
6/06 H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35)
5/22 HR 3448 Minimum Wage Increase bill Bill Passed - House (414 - 10)
5/21 HR 3415 Repeal Gas Tax bill Bill Passed - House (301 - 108)
5/16 H Con Res 178 Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution Resolution Passed - House (226 - 195)
4/30 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188)
4/25 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - House (399 - 25)
4/25 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Conference Report Adopted - Senate (88 - 11)
4/17 HR 842 Truth in Budgeting Act Bill Passed - House (284 - 143)
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)
3/12 HR 1561 Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 172)
3/07 HR 3019 Appropriations bill FY96, Omnibus Bill Passed - House (209 - 206)
1/04 HR 1977 1996 Interior Appropriations Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177)

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