Foreign Assistance Act of 1973
Public Law 93-189 · S. 1443 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on Dec 17, 1973 · International Affairs
Major law
Sponsor: Sen. James Fulbright (D-AR)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 210 yea, 193 nay210–193
- SenateRecorded vote: 44 yea, 41 nay44–41
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.
Foreign Assistance Act of 1973 - Adds to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 a statement of policy regarding development assistance authorizations. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 1974 and 1975 for: (1) food and nutrition; (2) population planning and health; (3) education and human resources development; (4) selected development problems; and (5) selected countries and organizations.
Provides that no part of any appropriation made available to carry out this Act shall be used to conduct any police training or related program in a foreign country or used to pay for the performance of abortions as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions.
Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the Development Loan Fund; (2) technical cooperation and development grants; (3) housing guarantees; (4) the Overseas Private Investment Corporation; (5) the Alliance for Progress; and (6) programs relating to population growth.
Provides that in the case of the United Nations and its affiliated organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the President shall seek the establishment of a single group for the purpose of providing a program of review and evaluation of the activities of such organizations. Authorizes appropriations for international organizations and programs.
Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the Contingency Fund of the Foreign Assistance Act; (2) military assistance; (3) security supporting assistance, and (4) international narcotics control.
Extends coverage under the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System to specified categories of personnel including Foreign Reserve Officers. Authorizes appropriations of $25,000,000 to the African Sahel Famine and Disaster Relief and Development Program.
Directs the President to establish a system for coordination of United States policies and programs which affect United States interests in the development of low-income countries and to establish a Development Coordination Committee to advise him with respect to such coordination.
Prescribes new requirements with regard to the content of the annual foreign assistance report and additional reports and information on the status of loans and guarantees made under this Act.
Authorizes the President to furnish assistance for relief and reconstruction of South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. States that no assistance shall be furnished to South Vietnam unless the President receives assurances that no assistance will be used for support of police, or prison construction and administration, within South Vietnam.
Authorizes to be appropriated in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, for the fiscal year 1974 not to exceed $504,000,000. Authorizes appropriations for assistance to South Vietnamese children.
Provides, under the Foreign Military Sales Act, that the United States Government shall reduce its sales, credit sales, and guaranties and defense services as soon as, and to the maximum extent, practicable. Authorizes appropriations under such act. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the Asian Development Bank; and (2) the Albert Schweitzer Hospital.
Provides that no funds authorized or appropriated under this or any other law may be expended to finance military or paramilitary operations by the United States in or over Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia. Declares that it is the sense of Congress that the President should deny any economic or military assistance to the government of any foreign country which practices the internment or imprisonment of that country's citizens for political purposes.
Expresses the declarations of Congress with regard to: (1) prisoners of war and individuals missing in action; (2) the rights of individuals in Chile; and (3) world food shortages.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 93rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 47 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
47 yea43 nay10 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(19)
- Sen. Lee MetcalfD-MT
- Sen. William HathawayD-ME
- Sen. Philip HartD-MI
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA- Sen. Walter MondaleD-MN
- Sen. Edmund MuskieD-ME
- Sen. Harrison WilliamsD-NJ
- Sen. Frank MossD-UT
- Sen. Abraham RibicoffD-CT
- Sen. Hubert HumphreyD-MN
- Sen. Mike GravelD-AK
- Sen. Joseph MontoyaD-NM
- Sen. John TunneyD-CA
- Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
- Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
- Sen. Gale McGeeD-WY
- Sen. John SparkmanD-AL
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. James EastlandD-MS
Republicans who voted yea(27)
- Sen. Clifford CaseR-NJ
- Sen. Richard SchweikerR-PA
- Sen. Edward BrookeR-MA
- Sen. Jacob JavitsR-NY
- Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. James PearsonR-KS
- Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
- Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
- Sen. George AikenR-VT
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK- Sen. John BeallR-MD
- Sen. Hugh ScottR-PA
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM- Sen. Hiram FongR-HI
- Sen. Edward GurneyR-FL
- Sen. Robert TaftR-OH
- Sen. William SaxbeR-OH
- Sen. Peter DominickR-CO
- Sen. Henry BellmonR-OK
- Sen. Robert GriffinR-MI
- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Norris CottonR-NH
- Sen. Dewey BartlettR-OK
- Sen. Roman HruskaR-NE
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. Wallace BennettR-UT
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 537 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. 1 yea vote was cast by members of neither major party and is highlighted on the compass but not listed. 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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Dec 17, 1973Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-189.
- Dec 6, 1973PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 5, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #556 (44-41).Senate roll call 556
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #556 (44-41).Senate roll call 556
- Dec 4, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report, roll call #620 (210-193).House roll call 620
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report, roll call #620 (210-193).House roll call 620
- Nov 27, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-664.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-664.
- Oct 11, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Oct 10, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Jul 26, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended in lieu of H.R. 9360.
- Jun 29, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
- Jun 26, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #235 (50-42).Senate roll call 235
- Jun 4, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Apr 3, 1973CommitteeCommittee · 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.



