Congress · Laws

An Act to increase the temporary debt limit, and for other purposes.

Public Law 94-232 · H.R. 11893 · 94th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Mar 15, 1976 · Economics and Public Finance

Sponsor: Rep. Albert Ullman (D-OR-2)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Herman Schneebeli

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 212 yea, 189 nay212–189
SenateMethod not stated

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.

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #69 (212-189))

Provides, under the Second Liberty Bond Act, for a temporary increase in the public debt limit by $227,000,000,000, to be effective from the date of enactment of this Act through June 30, 1976.

Increases the limitation from $10,000,000,000 to $12,000,000,000 on the amount of bonds that may be issued by the Secretary of the Treasury bearing interest above four and one-fourth percent.

Redefines notes which may be issued by the Secretary to include those with maturities of up to ten years.

Sets the minimum investment yield on series E savings bonds at four percent.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 94th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 219 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

219 yea196 nay17 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(173)

Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. Bella AbzugD-NY-20
Rep. John MossD-CA-3
Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
Rep. James CormanD-CA-21
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Phillip BurtonD-CA-6
Rep. Andrew YoungD-GA-5
Rep. Yvonne BurkeD-CA-28
Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Elizabeth HoltzmanD-NY-16
Rep. Shirley ChisholmD-NY-12
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
Rep. Benjamin RosenthalD-NY-8
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-19
Rep. Frank ThompsonD-NJ-4
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Herman BadilloD-NY-21
Rep. William BarrettD-PA-1
Rep. Charles DiggsD-MI-13
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. Barbara JordanD-TX-18
Rep. Robert NixD-PA-2
Rep. William FordD-MI-15
Rep. Frederick RichmondD-NY-14
Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
Rep. Harold JohnsonD-CA-1
Rep. Robert EckhardtD-TX-8
Rep. Charles CarneyD-OH-19
Rep. James HowardD-NJ-3
Rep. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
Rep. Jonathan BinghamD-NY-22
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. John BrademasD-IN-3
Rep. Patsy MinkD-HI-2
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-11
Rep. John McFallD-CA-14
Rep. Tip O’NeillD-MA-8
Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-23
Rep. Edward KochD-NY-18
Rep. Richard BollingD-MO-5
Rep. Joshua EilbergD-PA-4
Rep. Robert LeggettD-CA-4
Rep. Henry ReussD-WI-5
Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-7
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Henry HelstoskiD-NJ-9
Rep. Lloyd MeedsD-WA-2
Rep. John FaryD-IL-5
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. Ray MaddenD-IN-1
Rep. Helen MeynerD-NJ-13
Rep. Edward MezvinskyD-IA-1
Rep. William BrodheadD-MI-17
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Michael HarringtonD-MA-6
Rep. Thomas MorganD-PA-22
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. John MurphyD-NY-17
Rep. Richard NolanD-MN-6
Rep. Dominick DanielsD-NJ-14
Rep. Spark MatsunagaD-HI-1
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Floyd HicksD-WA-6
Rep. James BurkeD-MA-11
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-13
Rep. Robert DrinanD-MA-4
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. Edward PattenD-NJ-15
Rep. James StantonD-OH-20
Rep. Morgan MurphyD-IL-2
Rep. Abner MikvaD-IL-10
Rep. Joseph KarthD-MN-4
Rep. George DanielsonD-CA-30
Rep. James O’HaraD-MI-12
Rep. Edward BeardD-RI-2
Rep. James WeaverD-OR-4
Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-14
Rep. Teno RoncalioD-WY
Rep. Donald FraserD-MN-5
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-15
Rep. Daniel FloodD-PA-11
Rep. Robert BerglandD-MN-7
Rep. Lucien NedziD-MI-14
Rep. William MoorheadD-PA-14
Rep. Jerry PattersonD-CA-38
Rep. Joseph VigoritoD-PA-24
Rep. Paul TsongasD-MA-5
Rep. Richard OttingerD-NY-24
Rep. Lionel Van DeerlinD-CA-42
Rep. Joseph EvinsD-TN-4
Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
Rep. James HanleyD-NY-32
Rep. Torbert MacdonaldD-MA-7
Rep. Bernice SiskD-CA-16
Rep. William GreenD-PA-3
Rep. Mario BiaggiD-NY-10
Rep. Donald RiegleD-MI-7
Rep. Clement ZablockiD-WI-4
Rep. Charles VanikD-OH-22
Rep. James DelaneyD-NY-9
Rep. Tim HallD-IL-15
Rep. Leo ZeferettiD-NY-15
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. William HungateD-MO-9
Rep. Brock AdamsD-WA-7
Rep. William CotterD-CT-1
Rep. Richard Vander VeenD-MI-5
Rep. Paul SimonD-IL-24
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Frederick RooneyD-PA-15
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-27
Rep. Albert UllmanD-OR-2
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. John MelcherD-MT-2
Rep. Robert CornellD-WI-8
Rep. Thomas ReesD-CA-23
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. Frank EvansD-CO-3
Rep. Edward PattisonD-NY-29
Rep. Gillis LongD-LA-8
Rep. Mike McCormackD-WA-4
Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. Max BaucusD-MT-1
Rep. George ShipleyD-IL-22
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-37
Rep. Joseph FisherD-VA-10
Rep. Mark HannafordD-CA-34
Rep. Koln McKayD-UT-1
Rep. Otis PikeD-NY-1
Rep. John KrebsD-CA-17
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
Rep. Robert GiaimoD-CT-3
Rep. Thomas SteedD-OK-4
Rep. John SlackD-WV-3
Rep. Martha KeysD-KS-2
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Robert DuncanD-OR-3
Rep. Lunsford PreyerD-NC-6
Rep. John YoungD-TX-14
Rep. Wilbur MillsD-AR-2
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-28
Rep. John BreckinridgeD-KY-6
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-36
Rep. Theodore RisenhooverD-OK-2
Rep. Thomas AshleyD-OH-9
Rep. Clarence LongD-MD-2
Rep. Ray ThorntonD-AR-4
Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. Butler DerrickD-SC-3
Rep. John RoushD-IN-4
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-10
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. George MahonD-TX-19
Rep. Robert KruegerD-TX-21
Rep. Otto PassmanD-LA-5
Rep. Olin TeagueD-TX-6
Rep. Thomas DowningD-VA-1
Rep. Felix HébertD-LA-1
Rep. Joseph WaggonnerD-LA-4
Rep. Omar BurlesonD-TX-17

Republicans who voted yea(46)

Rep. Charles WhalenR-OH-3
Rep. Peter PeyserR-NY-23
Rep. Gilbert GudeR-MD-8
Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Edward BiesterR-PA-8
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-34
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Henry HeinzR-PA-18
Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
Rep. Donald MitchellR-NY-31
Rep. Thomas RailsbackR-IL-19
Rep. Pete McCloskeyR-CA-12
Rep. William CohenR-ME-2
Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
Rep. Joel PritchardR-WA-1
Rep. Millicent FenwickR-NJ-5
Rep. John StantonR-OH-11
Rep. Charles MosherR-OH-13
Rep. Edward MadiganR-IL-21
Rep. John AndersonR-IL-16
Rep. Pierre du PontR-DE
Rep. Albert JohnsonR-PA-23
Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-17
Rep. John JarmanD-OK-5
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. Jack EdwardsR-AL-1
Rep. Philip RuppeR-MI-11
Rep. Bob WilsonR-CA-41
Rep. Edward DerwinskiR-IL-4
Rep. Paul FindleyR-IL-20
Rep. Alphonzo BellR-CA-27
Rep. Shirley PettisR-CA-37
Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
Rep. Elford CederbergR-MI-10
Rep. Robert McCloryR-IL-13
Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
Rep. John WydlerR-NY-5
Rep. Robert McEwenR-NY-30
Rep. William SteigerR-WI-6
Rep. Edwin ForsytheR-NJ-6
Rep. Clarence BrownR-OH-7
Rep. John ErlenbornR-IL-14
Rep. Charles WigginsR-CA-39
Rep. Barber ConableR-NY-35
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Herman SchneebeliR-PA-17

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 659 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.

Ways and Means Committee · House · referred to, reported by
Finance 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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.

Mar 15, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
PresidentPresident · Public law 94-232.
PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
Mar 11, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
Mar 9, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Finance Committee
Feb 26, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Finance Committee
Feb 25, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #69 (212-189).House roll call 69
FloorFloor · Motion to recommit to the Committee on Ways and Means rejected in House.
Feb 23, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Ways and Means Committee
Feb 17, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House

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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.