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
Dec. 22, 1995 National HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
Dec. 21, 1995 National HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (245 - 178)
Dec. 14, 1995 National HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40)
Dec. 14, 1995 National HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40)
Dec. 13, 1995 National HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181)
Dec. 13, 1995 National HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181)
Nov. 1, 1995 National H Amdt 890 Domestic Partners Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 172)
Sept. 19, 1995 National HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
Sept. 14, 1995 National S Amdt 2478 Naturalized Citizen Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
Aug. 3, 1995 National H Amdt 725 Corporation for Public Broadcasting Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (136 - 286)
July 18, 1995 National HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (244 - 181)
July 18, 1995 National HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (244 - 181)
June 15, 1995 National S 652 Telecommunications Bill Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
June 7, 1995 National S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8)
June 6, 1995 National S Amdt 1215 Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19)
March 24, 1995 National HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (234 - 199)
Feb. 14, 1995 National HR 728 Anti-Crime bill Bill Passed - House (238 - 192)
Feb. 8, 1995 National HR 666 Admission of Evidence Seized Without a Warrant in Certain Conditions Bill Passed - House (289 - 142)
Feb. 8, 1995 National HR 666 Admission of Evidence Seized Without a Warrant in Certain Conditions Bill Passed - House (289 - 142)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/22 HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47)
12/21 HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (245 - 178)
12/14 HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40)
12/14 HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40)
12/13 HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181)
12/13 HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181)
11/01 H Amdt 890 Domestic Partners Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 172)
9/19 HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (87 - 12)
9/14 S Amdt 2478 Naturalized Citizen Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61)
8/03 H Amdt 725 Corporation for Public Broadcasting Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (136 - 286)
7/18 HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (244 - 181)
7/18 HR 1977 Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - House (244 - 181)
6/15 S 652 Telecommunications Bill Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
6/07 S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8)
6/06 S Amdt 1215 Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19)
3/24 HR 4 Welfare Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (234 - 199)
2/14 HR 728 Anti-Crime bill Bill Passed - House (238 - 192)
2/08 HR 666 Admission of Evidence Seized Without a Warrant in Certain Conditions Bill Passed - House (289 - 142)
2/08 HR 666 Admission of Evidence Seized Without a Warrant in Certain Conditions Bill Passed - House (289 - 142)

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