CONGRESS - Key Roll-Call Votes Used for the Ratings
National Journal
© National Journal Group
Inc.
Saturday, Jan. 23, 1999
Here are the 37 Senate and 57 House votes on which
National Journal's 1998 vote ratings are based. The Congressional
Record roll-call number is followed by a description of the vote,
the date, the outcome, the prevailing side--conservative (C) or
liberal (L)--and the weight given to each (1 for the lowest
weight to 3 for the highest) based on how closely the vote fits
the overall pattern.
Senate
Economic (16)
42 Table proposal to require cuts in other spending to offset
emergency funding. March 25. (68-31) L-2
55 Reduce income-tax rates to cut revenues by $ 195 billion over
five years. April 1. (38-62) L-3
74 Require that federal budget surplus should be used for debt
reduction or tax cuts. April 2. (53-45) C-3
94 Prohibit federal funds for national school testing. April 22.
(52-47) C-3
120 Permit additional tax-free treatment of individual
retirement accounts. May 6. (56-42) C-2
123 Strike provision for union representation on IRS oversight
board. May 7. (35-64) L-1
128 Instruct Senate conferees to permit expanded food-stamp
eligibility for refugees only if they were lawfully residing in
the U.S. on Aug. 22, 1996. May 12. (23-77) C-1
135 Require federal-court handling of all class-action
securities lawsuits involving more than 50 parties. May 13. (79-
21) C-3
138 Table ban on employers' sponsoring foreign workers if they
had laid off Americans with similar skills. May 18. (60-38) C-2
144 Table proposed increase to $ 1.50 in the tax on a cigarette
pack. May 20. (58-40) C-3
161 Invoke cloture on the tobacco settlement. June 17. (57-42;
60 votes required) C-3
169 Expand education savings accounts to cover private
elementary and secondary school expenses. June 22. (59-36) C-3
191 Permit vocational education to meet states' work
requirements for welfare parents. July 9. (56-42)
L-3
197
Invoke cloture on bill to give judicial remedies to private-
property owners challenging local decisions. July 13. (52-42; 60
votes required) L-3
236 Table proposal to strike expansion to credit unions of
Community Reinvestment Act's lending requirements. July 27. (44-
50) C-3
278 Table proposed $ 1 increase in the minimum wage. Sept. 22.
(55-44) C-3
Senate
Social (11)
9 Confirmation of David Satcher to be U.S. Surgeon General. Feb.
10. (63-35) L-3
23 Table proposal to end federal highway program's minority set-
aside funding benefits. March 6. (58-37) L-2
172 Bar change in Defense Department policy on gender separation
for recruits. June 24. (56-37) C-3
176 Repeal prohibition of privately financed abortions at U.S.
overseas hospitals. June 25. (44-49) C-2
216 Table proposal requiring gun dealers to sell trigger locks
with each handgun. July 21. (61-39) C-2
230 Limit the fees for court-appointed defense attorneys in
death penalty cases. July 23. (53-47) C-2
269 Table proposal to eliminate funding for the National
Endowment for the Arts. Sept. 15. (76-22) L-2
277 Override President Clinton's veto of ban on partial-birth
abortions. Sept. 18. (64-36; failed to receive required two-
thirds) L-3
282 Invoke cloture on bill to prohibit anyone other than a
parent from transporting across state lines a teenage girl
seeking an abortion. Sept. 22. (54-45; 60 votes required) L-2
295 Confirm Sonia Sotomayer as a U.S. circuit judge. Oct. 2.
(68-28) L-3
309 Confirm William Fletcher as a U.S. circuit judge. Oct. 8.
(57-41) L-3
Senate
Foreign (10)
105 Authorize State Department funding, including agency
reorganization and family-planning restrictions. April 28. (51-
49) C-3
113 Require the President to begin discussions with Russia on
reducing tactical nuclear weapons. April 30. (16-84) C-2
114 Table requirement that the President certify that NATO's
primary mission is to defend its members. April 30. (82-18) L-1
131 Invoke cloture on bill to require a national missile defense
shield. May 13. (59-41; 60 votes required) L-3
171 Table proposal to require legislation for continued use of
U.S. armed forces in Bosnia. June 24. (65-31) L-2
178 Shut down the Navy's ''extremely low-frequency''
communications system. June 25. (20-72) C-2
179 Prohibit Defense Department purchase of additional F-22
aircraft until completion of flight testing. June 25. (19-73) C-1
204 Table restriction on food and medical exports to nations
that have supported terrorism. July 15. (30-67) C-2
247 Table funding reduction for the Navy's F-18 jet fighters.
July 30. (80-19) C-3
254 Increase funding for expenses related to the Nuclear Test-
Ban Treaty. Sept. 1. (49-44) L-2
House Economic (22)
9 Prohibit federal funds for national school testing. Feb. 5.
(242-174) C-3
74 Permit waiver of fines on small businesses for paperwork
violations. March 26. (267-140) C-3
78 Grant rights to business in the hiring of employees who
organize union members. March 26. (202-200) C-3
88 Require $ 2.9 billion in supplemental fiscal 1998 spending to
be offset by cuts in other programs. March 31. (212-208) C-3
102 Amend the Constitution to require two-thirds votes to raise
taxes in the House and Senate. April 22. (238-186; failed to
achieve required two-thirds) L-3
119 Establish a $ 7 million scholarship program for
low-income elementary and secondary students in the District of
Columbia. April 30. (214-20
6) C-3
124 Expand Pell grants for college students to permit awards to
top high-school achievers. May 5. (220-187) L-3
145 Expand permissible activities of national bank subsidiaries.
May 13. (140-281) L-2
160 Require congressional committees to list their legislative
private-sector mandates exceeding $ 100 million. May 19. (279-132)
C-2
208 Adopt conservatives' substitute to budget resolution,
including $ 150 billion in tax cuts over five years. June 5. (158-
262) L-2
209 Adopt Democratic substitute to budget resolution, including
higher spending and smaller tax cuts. June 5. (164-257) C-3
224 Exclude child support and alimony payments from revised
bankruptcy coverage. June 10. (153-270) C-3
228 Exempt from minimum-wage and overtime laws certain employees
who earn commissions on sales. June 11. (261-165) C-3
239 Sunset the tax code on Dec. 31, 2002. June 17. (219-209) C-3
243 Expand education savings accounts to cover private
elementary and secondary school expenses. June 18. (225-197) C-3
296 Permit increased local control in public-housing facilities.
July 17. (230-181) C-2
306 Include additional labor union activities under federal
campaign-finance disclosure rules. July 20. (150-248) L-3
339 Adopt Republican version of reform of health maintenance
organizations and other patient protections. July 24. (216-210)
C-3
381 Increase funding for the Legal Services Corp. Aug. 4. (255-
170) L-3
411 Provide scholarship vouchers to low-income District of
Columbia students. Aug. 6. (214-208) C-2
466 Permit negotiation of international trade-agreement under
''fast-track'' congressional authority. Sept. 25. (180-243) L-3
469 Cut taxes by $ 80 billion over five years. Sept. 26. (229-
195) C-3
House
Social (23)
20 Permit courts to drop death penalty sentences. Feb. 25. (113-
300) C-2
22 Exempt civil rights cases from proposal that federal agencies
observe federal-court precedents. Feb. 25. (164-253) C-3
37 Schedule referendum on statehood in Puerto Rico. March 4.
(209-208) L-2
93 End federal highway program's minority set-aside funding
benefits. April 1. (194-225) L-3
114 Prohibit federal funds for the distribution of needles for
drug use. April 29. (287-140) C-3
122 Bar use by the Education Department of federal personal
identifiers. May 5. (112-286) L-1
130 Strike provision to require universities to give advance
notice of plan to drop a sports program. May 6. (292-129) L-1
133 Prohibit universities from granting preferential treatment
on the basis of race, sex, or ethnic background. May 6. (171-249)
L-2
163 Prohibit federal courts from ordering a prisoner's release
because of prison conditions. May 19. (352-53) C-1
171 Repeal prohibition of privately financed abortions at U.S.
overseas hospitals. May 20. (190-232)
C-3
201 Amend the Constitution to guarantee the right to prayer in
school. June 4. (224-203; failed to achieve required two-thirds)
L-3
260 Prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from developing or
approving drug to induce abortions. June 24. (223-202) C-3
280 Prohibit anyone other than a parent from transporting across
state lines a teenage girl seeking an abortion. July 15. (276-
150) C-3
290 Require the Office of Personnel Management to provide
federal employees coverage for contraceptive drugs. July 16.
(224-198) L-3
312 Restore $ 98 million in funding for the National Endowment
for the Arts. July 21. (253-173) L-3
325 Ov
erride President Clinton's veto of ban on partial-birth
abortions. July 23. (296-132) C-2
367 Prohibit states from providing bilingual voting materials.
July 31. (142-261) L-3
387 Strike prohibition on federal funding of abortions for
prisoners. Aug. 4. (148-271) C-3
398 Prohibit funding of executive order to bar discrimination
based on sexual orientation in the federal workplace. Aug. 5.
(176-252) L-3
414 Prohibit adoptions in the District of Columbia by unmarried
couples. Aug. 6. (227-192) C-2
435 Oppose federal efforts to investigate the use of marijuana
for medical purposes. Sept. 15. (310-93)
C-1
443 Require random drug tests for all federal employees. Sept.
16. (123-281) L-3
504 Require family-planning clinics to gain parental
notification before giving contraceptives to minors. Oct. 8.
(224-200) C-3
House
Foreign (12)
58 Invoke the War Powers Resolution to require withdrawal of
U.S. military forces from Bosnia unless other action is taken.
March 18. (193-225) L-2
63 Forgive debt from foreign nations that conserve their
tropical forests. March 19. (356-61) L-1
109 Instruct House conferees to support $ 18 billion for the
International Monetary Fund. April 23. (186-222) C-3
137 Cut funds by 5 percent for U.S. foreign-intelligence
agencies. May 7. (120-291) C-1
170 Prohibit export of U.S. satellites to China. May 20. (364-
54) C-1
173 Prohibit the assignment of U.S. armed forces under U.N.
command. May 20. (250-172) C-3
180 Authorize Pentagon troops to assist immigration and customs
officials at the U.S. border. May 21. (288-132) C-2
202 Express sense of Congress that President Clinton should
reconsider his decision to be received by China in Tiananmen
Square. June 4. (305-116) C-2
266 Appropriate $ 251 billion for the Pentagon in fiscal 1999.
June 24. (358-61) C-1
356 Disapprove Clinton's decision to permit Vietnam to
participate in U.S. trade and investment programs. July 30. (163-
260) L-1
382 Strike funding for TV Marti television broadcasts to Cuba.
Aug. 4 (172-251) C-2
392 Eliminate $ 475 million for debt payments to the United
Nations. Aug. 5. (151-279) L-2
