Increasing the statutory limit on the public debt.
Public Law 109-182 · H.J.Res. 47 · 109th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Mar 20, 2006 · Economics and Public Finance
Cosponsors: None
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateRecorded vote: 52 yea, 48 nay52–48
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.
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 $8.184 trillion to $8.965 trillion.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 109th 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 yea48 nay
Democrats who voted yea(0)
- None.
Republicans who voted yea(52)
- Sen. Lincoln ChafeeR-RI
Sen. Olympia SnoweR-ME
Sen. Susan CollinsR-ME
Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA- Sen. Mike DeWineR-OH
Sen. Norm ColemanR-MN
Sen. Gordon SmithR-OR
Sen. John WarnerR-VA
Sen. George VoinovichR-OH
Sen. Richard LugarR-IN- Sen. Jim TalentR-MO
Sen. Lisa MurkowskiR-AK
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
Sen. Kay HutchisonR-TX
Sen. Robert BennettR-UT
Sen. Mel MartinezR-FL- Sen. Rick SantorumR-PA
Sen. John McCainR-AZ
Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
Sen. John ThuneR-SD
Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
Sen. Lamar AlexanderR-TN
Sen. Chuck HagelR-NE
Sen. Pat RobertsR-KS
Sen. Kit BondR-MO
Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
Sen. Elizabeth DoleR-NC
Sen. Lindsey GrahamR-SC- Sen. Bill FristR-TN
Sen. Sam BrownbackR-KS
Sen. Richard ShelbyR-AL
Sen. Larry CraigR-ID- Sen. George AllenR-VA
Sen. Trent LottR-MS
Sen. Mike CrapoR-ID
Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY
Sen. Judd GreggR-NH
Sen. Saxby ChamblissR-GA
Sen. Johnny IsaksonR-GA
Sen. Richard BurrR-NC
Sen. John SununuR-NH
Sen. John CornynR-TX- Sen. Craig ThomasR-WY
Sen. Michael EnziR-WY
Sen. David VitterR-LA
Sen. Jon KylR-AZ
Sen. Jim BunningR-KY
Sen. Wayne AllardR-CO
Sen. Jeff SessionsR-AL
Sen. Jim DeMintR-SC
Sen. Jim InhofeR-OK
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 420 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.
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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.Con.Res. 95Related billText similarities
Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2006, revising appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2005, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 20…
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Mar 20, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-182.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 17, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Mar 16, 2006FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 48. Record Vote Number: 54.Senate roll call 54
- FloorFloor · Considered by Senate.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Mar 15, 2006FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- May 9, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- May 2, 2005IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
- Apr 28, 2005FloorFloor · Passed House pursuant to rule XXVII and H. Con. Res. 95
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.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Rejected
S.Amdt. 3131SenateSen. Max BaucusD-MT· offered Mar 15, 2006Rejected
To require a study of debt held by foreigners.
Mar 16, 2006: Amendment SA 3131 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 44 - 55. Record Vote Number: 53.
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.