Congress · Laws

A bill to implement the Inter-American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration.

Public Law 100-669 · S. 2204 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 16, 1988 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 356 yea, 0 nay356–0
SenateVoice vote

Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #462 (356-0))

Makes the act of state doctrine inapplicable to the enforcement of arbitral agreements, confirmation of arbitral awards, and execution upon judgments based on orders confirming such awards.

Makes an exception to the immunity of a foreign nation from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts in cases of an action to enforce an arbitral agreement if: (1) the arbitration takes place or is intended to take place in the United States; (2) the agreement or award is governed by a treaty or international agreement in force for the United States calling for the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards; (3) the underlying claim could have been brought in a U.S. court; or (4) the foreign nation has waived its immunity either explicitly or by implication. Makes an exception to the immunity from attachment and execution of the property of a foreign nation in cases where the judgment is based on an order confirming an arbitral award provided that the attachment or execution would not be inconsistent with any provision in the arbitral agreement.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 100th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 357 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

357 yea0 nay74 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(212)

Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. Charles HayesD-IL-1
Rep. George CrockettD-MI-13
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-17
Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-16
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. John LewisD-GA-5
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Gary AckermanD-NY-7
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Kenneth GrayD-IL-22
Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-18
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. William FordD-MI-15
Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
Rep. Chester AtkinsD-MA-5
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Floyd FlakeD-NY-6
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Thomas FogliettaD-PA-1
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Thomas MantonD-NY-9
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
Rep. Howard BermanD-CA-26
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. Joseph KennedyD-MA-8
Rep. Meldon LevineD-CA-27
Rep. Bruce MorrisonD-CT-3
Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
Rep. Esteban TorresD-CA-34
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
Rep. Robert BorskiD-PA-3
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Albert EspyD-MS-2
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Ronald ColemanD-TX-16
Rep. Kweisi MfumeD-MD-7
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Albert BustamanteD-TX-23
Rep. Robert MrazekD-NY-3
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-10
Rep. Richard LehmanD-CA-18
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-17
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Benjamin CardinD-MD-3
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. Jim MoodyD-WI-5
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-33
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Thomas SawyerD-OH-14
Rep. James TraficantD-OH-17
Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-6
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Peter ViscloskyD-IN-1
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. James JontzD-IN-5
Rep. Richard DurbinD-IL-20
Rep. John BryantD-TX-5
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
Rep. Rick BoucherD-VA-9
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. David NagleD-IA-3
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. Robert WiseD-WV-3
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Peter DeFazioD-OR-4
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. George HochbruecknerD-NY-1
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Francis McCloskeyD-IN-8
Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
Rep. Harley StaggersD-WV-2
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Robert TorricelliD-NJ-9
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Joseph BrennanD-ME-1
Rep. Terry BruceD-IL-19
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Paul KanjorskiD-PA-11
Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
Rep. Marcy KapturD-OH-9
Rep. Charles McMillenD-MD-4
Rep. Jim BatesD-CA-44
Rep. Bart GordonD-TN-6
Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. William RichardsonD-NM-3
Rep. Jerry CostelloD-IL-21
Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-32
Rep. Douglas BoscoD-CA-1
Rep. Douglas OwensD-UT-2
Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
Rep. Louise SlaughterD-NY-30
Rep. David SkaggsD-CO-2
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-11
Rep. Robert ClementD-TN-5
Rep. James GrantD-FL-2
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Owen PickettD-VA-2
Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. Butler DerrickD-SC-3
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. David PriceD-NC-4
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. James BilbrayD-NV-1
Rep. Jim CooperD-TN-4
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Robert ThomasD-GA-1
Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-1
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Tim JohnsonD-SD-1
Rep. Jim ChapmanD-TX-1
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-2
Rep. James RowlandD-GA-8
Rep. James HayesD-LA-7
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Thomas CarperD-DE
Rep. Martin LancasterD-NC-3
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
Rep. James OlinD-VA-6
Rep. William LipinskiD-IL-5
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-11
Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. Lewis PayneD-VA-5
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. James SlatteryD-KS-2
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. Andrew JacobsD-IN-10
Rep. Tim ValentineD-NC-2
Rep. Elizabeth PattersonD-SC-4
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-23
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. Robin TallonD-SC-6
Rep. Timothy PennyD-MN-1
Rep. Ben ErdreichD-AL-6
Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
Rep. Claude HarrisD-AL-7
Rep. William NicholsD-AL-3
Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. Tommy RobinsonD-AR-2
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
Rep. Ralph HallD-TX-4
Rep. Charlie StenholmD-TX-17

Republicans who voted yea(145)

Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-15
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-29
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-22
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
Rep. Christopher ShaysR-CT-4
Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-7
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Sherry BoehlertR-NY-25
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Nancy JohnsonR-CT-6
Rep. John MillerR-WA-1
Rep. Patricia SaikiR-HI-1
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Carl PursellR-MI-2
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-5
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Arthur RavenelR-SC-1
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. Thomas RidgeR-PA-21
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. John RowlandR-CT-5
Rep. Amo HoughtonR-NY-34
Rep. Steven GundersonR-WI-3
Rep. Curt WeldonR-PA-7
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. John MyersR-IN-7
Rep. Jan MeyersR-KS-3
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-2
Rep. Jim SaxtonR-NJ-13
Rep. Virginia SmithR-NE-3
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. Bill SchuetteR-MI-10
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. Charles PashayanR-CA-17
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. Frederick GrandyR-IA-6
Rep. Herbert BatemanR-VA-1
Rep. Donald RitterR-PA-15
Rep. Joseph DioGuardiR-NY-20
Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-18
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-14
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Paul HenryR-MI-5
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. Alex McMillanR-NC-9
Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
Rep. John KasichR-OH-12
Rep. Daniel CoatsR-IN-4
Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Harris FawellR-IL-13
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-15
Rep. Jim McCreryR-LA-4
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. Bill EmersonR-MO-8
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-8
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. Mike DeWineR-OH-7
Rep. Jack BuechnerR-MO-2
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
Rep. Daniel SlaughterR-VA-7
Rep. John WeberR-MN-2
Rep. Arlan StangelandR-MN-7
Rep. H. CallahanR-AL-1
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Fred UptonR-MI-4
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-35
Rep. Richard BakerR-LA-6
Rep. Robert SmithR-OR-2
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. Jim KolbeR-AZ-5
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. Ernest KonnyuR-CA-12
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Donald SundquistR-TN-7
Rep. John HilerR-IN-3
Rep. James LightfootR-IA-5
Rep. Lynn MartinR-IL-16
Rep. Jack DavisR-IL-4
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
Rep. Howard CobleR-NC-6
Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
Rep. Michael BilirakisR-FL-9
Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-20
Rep. Bud ShusterR-PA-9
Rep. Mickey EdwardsR-OK-5
Rep. Dan SchaeferR-CO-6
Rep. Lamar SmithR-TX-21
Rep. Thomas LewisR-FL-12
Rep. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Denny HastertR-IL-14
Rep. Andy IrelandR-FL-10
Rep. Joel HefleyR-CO-5
Rep. Jack KempR-NY-31
Rep. Cass BallengerR-NC-10
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
Rep. Elton GalleglyR-CA-21
Rep. Ron PackardR-CA-43
Rep. Barbara VucanovichR-NV-2
Rep. Larry CombestR-TX-19
Rep. Jim BunningR-KY-4
Rep. George GekasR-PA-17
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Ronald MarleneeR-MT-2
Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
Rep. Jim InhofeR-OK-1
Rep. Wally HergerR-CA-2
Rep. Robert DornanR-CA-38
Rep. James SensenbrennerR-WI-9
Rep. Howard NielsonR-UT-3
Rep. Jack FieldsR-TX-8
Rep. James HansenR-UT-1
Rep. Alfred McCandlessR-CA-37
Rep. Daniel LungrenR-CA-42
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Bob SmithR-NH-1
Rep. Richard CheneyR-WY
Rep. Jon KylR-AZ-4
Rep. David DreierR-CA-33
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16
Rep. Dan BurtonR-IN-6
Rep. Norman ShumwayR-CA-14
Rep. Richard ArmeyR-TX-26
Rep. Robert StumpR-AZ-3

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 936 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
Foreign Relations Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported by

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.

Nov 16, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-669.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Nov 7, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Oct 22, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Voice Vote.
Oct 21, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 356 - 0 (Record Vote No: 462).House roll call 462
Oct 6, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
Oct 3, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
Oct 1, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
Sep 27, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Mar 22, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Foreign Relations Committee
IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate

Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.