An Act to amend title 39, United States Code, with respect to certain rates of postage, and for other purposes.
Public Law 93-328 · S. 411 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on Jun 30, 1974 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Gale McGee (D-WY)
Cosponsors (21): Sen. Jennings Randolph, Sen. Quentin Burdick,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 277 yea, 129 nay277–129
- SenateRecorded vote: 71 yea, 11 nay71–11
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.
Increases the number of years permitted users of specified classes of mail to adjust to higher postage rates. Provides that the number of years for the annual phasing of second-class mail (books and records), and controlled circulation publications shall be increased to eight years. Provides that the number of years for the annual phasing of preferred second-class, non-profit third class (circulars from charitable organizations), and the special fourth-class library rates would be increased to 16 years from the 10 years provided by current law.
Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize a reduction in any rate of postage in effect and being paid on the date of enactment of this Act.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 93rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 75 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
75 yea12 nay14 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(48)
- Sen. James AbourezkD-SD
- Sen. Harold HughesD-IA
- Sen. Gaylord NelsonD-WI
- Sen. George McGovernD-SD
- Sen. Dick ClarkD-IA
- Sen. Lee MetcalfD-MT
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
- Sen. Frank ChurchD-ID
- Sen. William HathawayD-ME
- Sen. Philip HartD-MI
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA- Sen. Rupert HartkeD-IN
Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE- Sen. Floyd HaskellD-CO
- Sen. Walter MondaleD-MN
- Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
- Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
- Sen. Birch BayhD-IN
- Sen. Stuart SymingtonD-MO
- Sen. Edmund MuskieD-ME
- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
- Sen. Frank MossD-UT
- Sen. Abraham RibicoffD-CT
- Sen. Hubert HumphreyD-MN
- Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
- Sen. Warren MagnusonD-WA
Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV- Sen. Joseph MontoyaD-NM
- Sen. John TunneyD-CA
- Sen. John PastoreD-RI
- Sen. Alan BibleD-NV
- Sen. Jennings RandolphD-WV
- Sen. Thomas McIntyreD-NH
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
- Sen. Howard CannonD-NV
- Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
- Sen. Russell LongD-LA
- Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. Gale McGeeD-WY
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. Herman TalmadgeD-GA
- Sen. Samuel ErvinD-NC
- Sen. John SparkmanD-AL
- Sen. John McClellanD-AR
- Sen. James AllenD-AL
- 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. Mark HatfieldR-OR
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. James PearsonR-KS
- Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
- Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
- Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
- Sen. Milton YoungR-ND
- Sen. George AikenR-VT
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK- Sen. Marlow CookR-KY
- Sen. John BeallR-MD
- Sen. Hugh ScottR-PA
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM- Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
- Sen. Edward GurneyR-FL
- Sen. Howard BakerR-TN
- Sen. Robert TaftR-OH
- Sen. Robert GriffinR-MI
- Sen. William BrockR-TN
- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Roman HruskaR-NE
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. Carl CurtisR-NE
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 772 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.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred to, reported by
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · Senate · 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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 10 actions.
- Jun 30, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-328.
- Jun 20, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Jun 19, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House, roll call #305 (277-129).House roll call 305
- Jun 6, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- May 13, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- May 9, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #186 (71-11).Senate roll call 186
- Apr 30, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jan 16, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Post Office and Civil Service 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.