Foreign Assistance Act of 1974
Public Law 93-559 · S. 3394 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Dec 30, 1974 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. John Sparkman (D-AL)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 209 yea, 189 nay209–189
- SenateRecorded vote: 49 yea, 43 nay49–43
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 - Increases the authorization of appropriations to $500,000,000 for food and nutrition for fiscal year 1975. Directs that special attention be given to increasing agricultural production in countries with a per capita income under $300.
Places a ceiling on fertilizers to South Vietnam. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1975 for population planning and education and human resources development. Prohibits the use by the Agency for International Development of scheduled loan receipts after July 1, 1975. Raises the worldwide housing guaranty ceiling from $305,000,000 to $355,000,000.
Adds Title III (Housing and Other Credit Guaranty Programs) to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, transferring the Agricultural and Productive Credit and Self-Help Community Development Program from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to the Agency for International Development.
Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1975 for international organizations and programs, earmarking $500,000 of the funds for the International Atomic Energy Agency and requiring that a reasonable amount of the funds be used to strengthen procedures to prevent unauthorized use of nuclear materials.
Provides a $600,000,000 authorization for military assistance programs for fiscal year 1975, earmarking $300,000,000 in military credit sales for Israel and releasing Israel from the liability to repay $100,000,000 worth of defense articles or services so financed.
Imposes a ceiling of $150,000,000 for fiscal year 1975 on the President's special drawdown authority with regard to the stocks of the Departments of Defense in security matters.
Provides that after June 30, 1976, no military assistance shall be furnished to South Vietnam unless authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 or the Foreign Military Sales Act.
Sets a ceiling on the use of excess defense articles that can be furnished to foreign countries, requiring that such articles be expressed in terms of acquisition costs.
Prohibits the stockpiling of defense articles for war reserves for foreign countries with any funds other than those authorized by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 or in the case of Vietnam, the Military Procurement Act of 1966.
Requires that all military mission costs presently included in the Department of Defense budget be chargeable to the military assistance appropriation effective July 1, 1976.
Provides for a review of specified military assistance programs and directs the President to submit a plan for the reduction and eventual elimination of such programs.
Limits the aggregate amount of military assistance, excess defense articles, and sales credits to South Korea to $145,000,000 in fiscal year 1975 unless the President reports to Congress that the Government of South Korea has made substantial progress in the observance of international standards of human rights.
Authorizes $660,000,000 for security supporting assistance for fiscal year 1975, allowing $324,500,000 for Israel, $250,000,000 for Egypt, and $77,500,000 for Jordan.
Suspends all military assistance and sales to Turkey upon enactment of this Act, allowing the President to lift the suspension until February 5, 1975 if it will further negotiations for solution of the Cyprus conflict and if Turkey will observe the ceasefire and not increase its forces or implements of war.
Permits the President to waive the prohibition on assistance to countries trading with North Vietnam. Limits the funds that could be used for assistance to Chile to $25,000,000 in fiscal year 1975, none of which may be used to finance military assistance, credits or guaranties.
Authorizes the appropriation of $40,000,000 for famine and disaster relief in fiscal year 1975, earmarking $25,000,000 for Cyprus. Reduces the authorization for the contingency fund from $30,000,000 to $5,000,000 and prohibits its use to pay for gifts to officials of any foreign government.
Terminates the authority to conduct police training, effective June 30, 1975, with exceptions relating to international narcotics control.
States that no funds may be expended by the Central Intelligence Agency for operations in foreign countries, other than those intended solely for obtaining necessary intelligence, unless the President makes specified findings and reports to specified Congressional committees.
Sets forth an Indochina policy statement directing the President to take specified measures in bringing peace to Indochina. Prescribes the principles governing economic aid to Indochina and authorizes appropriations for Indochina postwar reconstruction. Increases the appropriation for assistance programs to South Vietnamese children.
Provides for assistance to: (1) South Vietnam; (2) Cambodia; and (3) Laos. Provides for the allocation of Middle East assistance.
Places a prohibition on the use of funds for nuclear aid.
Requires, under the Foreign Military Sales Act, that the President report on any single sale of defense articles or services which exceeds $25,000,000 30 days prior to the conclusion of any agreement to sell, and permits the disapproval of such transaction by a concurrent resolution.
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should substantially reduce or terminate security assistance to any government which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights. Expresses statements of policy on: (1) assistance to Africa; and (2) the independence of Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau.
Requests the President to instruct each United States representative to an international organization to operate in a manner to encourage and promote the integration of women into national economies.
Authorizes the President to furnish assistance in exchange for raw materials where such assistance is in the U.S. national interest.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 93rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 49 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
49 yea44 nay7 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(23)
- Sen. Gaylord NelsonD-WI
- Sen. Dick ClarkD-IA
- Sen. Lee MetcalfD-MT
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
- Sen. Philip HartD-MI
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA- Sen. Rupert HartkeD-IN
- Sen. Walter MondaleD-MN
- Sen. Adlai StevensonD-IL
- Sen. Edmund MuskieD-ME
- Sen. Dee HuddlestonD-KY
- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
- Sen. Harrison WilliamsD-NJ
- Sen. Frank MossD-UT
- Sen. Abraham RibicoffD-CT
- Sen. Hubert HumphreyD-MN
- Sen. John TunneyD-CA
- Sen. Thomas McIntyreD-NH
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
- Sen. Gale McGeeD-WY
- Sen. John SparkmanD-AL
- Sen. James EastlandD-MS
Republicans who voted yea(25)
- Sen. Clifford CaseR-NJ
- Sen. Richard SchweikerR-PA
- Sen. Edward BrookeR-MA
- Sen. Jacob JavitsR-NY
- Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
- Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. James PearsonR-KS
- Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
- Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
- 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. Hiram FongR-HI
- Sen. Howard BakerR-TN
- Sen. Robert TaftR-OH
- Sen. Peter DominickR-CO
- Sen. Robert GriffinR-MI
- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Norris CottonR-NH
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. Wallace BennettR-UT
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1127 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. 18 actions.
- Dec 30, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-559.
- Dec 24, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 18, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report, roll call #704 (209-189).House roll call 704
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report, roll call #704 (209-189).House roll call 704
- Dec 17, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #565 (49-43).Senate roll call 565
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #565 (49-43).Senate roll call 565
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1610.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1610.
- Dec 12, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Dec 11, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 17234.
- Dec 4, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #522 (46-45).Senate roll call 522
- Nov 29, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Oct 2, 1974FloorFloor · Motion to recommit passed Senate, roll call #447 (41-39).Senate roll call 447
- FloorFloor · Motion to recommit failed of passage in Senate, roll call #445 (39-43).Senate roll call 445
- Apr 29, 1974CommitteeCommittee · 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.



