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A bill to amend title 31 of the United States Code to increase the public debt limit.

Public Law 108-415 · S. 2986 · 108th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Nov 19, 2004 · Economics and Public Finance

Sponsor: Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 208 yea, 204 nay208–204
  • SenateRecorded vote: 52 yea, 44 nay52–44
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.

Amends Federal law to increase the statutory limit on the public debt from $7.384 trillion to $8.184 trillion.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 108th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 52 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

52 yea44 nay4 present or did not vote

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(2)

  • Sen. John BreauxD-LA
  • Sen. Zell MillerD-GA

Republicans who voted yea(50)

  • Sen. Lincoln ChafeeR-RI
  • Sen. Olympia SnoweR-ME
  • Sen. Susan CollinsR-ME
  • Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
  • Sen. Mike DeWineR-OH
  • Sen. Gordon SmithR-OR
  • Sen. Lisa MurkowskiR-AK
  • Sen. Norm ColemanR-MN
  • Sen. Ben CampbellR-CO
  • Sen. John McCainR-AZ
  • Sen. George VoinovichR-OH
  • Sen. John WarnerR-VA
  • Sen. Kay HutchisonR-TX
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. Richard LugarR-IN
  • Sen. Kit BondR-MO
  • Sen. Jim TalentR-MO
  • Sen. Chuck HagelR-NE
  • Sen. Peter FitzgeraldR-IL
  • Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
  • Sen. Pat RobertsR-KS
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. Bill FristR-TN
  • Sen. Lamar AlexanderR-TN
  • Sen. Robert BennettR-UT
  • Sen. Elizabeth DoleR-NC
  • Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
  • Sen. Sam BrownbackR-KS
  • Sen. Lindsey GrahamR-SC
  • Sen. George AllenR-VA
  • Sen. Judd GreggR-NH
  • Sen. Richard ShelbyR-AL
  • Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
  • Sen. Saxby ChamblissR-GA
  • Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY
  • Sen. Conrad BurnsR-MT
  • Sen. Trent LottR-MS
  • Sen. Rick SantorumR-PA
  • Sen. John CornynR-TX
  • Sen. John SununuR-NH
  • Sen. Jim BunningR-KY
  • Sen. Mike CrapoR-ID
  • Sen. Jim InhofeR-OK
  • Sen. Larry CraigR-ID
  • Sen. Jeff SessionsR-AL
  • Sen. Wayne AllardR-CO
  • Sen. Michael EnziR-WY
  • Sen. Craig ThomasR-WY
  • Sen. Jon KylR-AZ
  • Sen. Don NicklesR-OK
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 672 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.

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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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.J.Res. 51 · became Public Law 108-24Related bill

    Increasing the statutory limit on the public debt.

  • H.Res. 856Procedurally-related

    Providing for consideration of the bill (S. 2986) to amend title 31 of the United States Code to increase the public debt limit.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Nov 19, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-415.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 18, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by recorded vote: 208 - 204 (Roll no. 536).House roll call 536
  6. FloorFloor · On motion to commit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 194 - 218 (Roll no. 535).House roll call 535
  7. FloorFloor · The previous question on the motion to commit with instructions was ordered without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · Floor summary: DEBATE - The House proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the Stenholm motion to commit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment providing that the provisions of the bi…
  9. FloorFloor · Mr. Stenholm moved to commit with instructions to Ways and Means.
  10. FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  11. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House resumed debate on S. 2986.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on S. 2986.
  13. FloorFloor · Rule provides for consideration of S. 2986 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions. The resolution provides for one motion to commit. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.
  14. FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 856.
  15. FloorFloor · Rule H. Res. 856 passed House.
  16. Nov 17, 2004FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  17. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  18. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  19. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 44. Record Vote Number: 213.Senate roll call 213
  20. FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 856 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S. 2986 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions. The resolution provides for one motion to commit. Measure will be con…
  21. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  22. Nov 16, 2004CalendarCalendar · Introduced in the Senate. Read twice. Ordered Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 805.
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.