InsideGov
Congress · Laws

A joint resolution to provide for a temporary increase in the public debt limit.

Public Law 97-270 · H.J.Res. 520 · 97th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 30, 1982 · Economics and Public Finance

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseMethod not stated
  • SenateRecorded vote: 50 yea, 41 nay50–41
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.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

(Measure passed Senate, roll call #354 (50-41))

Increases the temporary public debt limit set forth in the Second Liberty Bond Act from $400,000,000,000 to $1,290,200,000,000 for FY 1983.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 97th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 51 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

51 yea42 nay7 present or did not vote

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(15)

  • Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA
  • Sen. Carl LevinD-MI
  • Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
  • Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
  • Sen. Paul TsongasD-MA
  • Sen. Spark MatsunagaD-HI
  • Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI
  • Sen. Bill BradleyD-NJ
  • Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
  • Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
  • Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
  • Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
  • Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
  • Sen. Russell LongD-LA
  • Sen. John StennisD-MS

Republicans who voted yea(36)

  • Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
  • Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
  • Sen. Henry HeinzR-PA
  • Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
  • Sen. David DurenbergerR-MN
  • Sen. Mark AndrewsR-ND
  • Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
  • Sen. William CohenR-ME
  • Sen. William RothR-DE
  • Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
  • Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
  • Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
  • Sen. John DanforthR-MO
  • Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
  • Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
  • Sen. Rudy BoschwitzR-MN
  • Sen. James AbdnorR-SD
  • Sen. Robert KastenR-WI
  • Sen. Harrison SchmittR-NM
  • Sen. Slade GortonR-WA
  • Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
  • Sen. Richard LugarR-IN
  • Sen. Nicholas BradyR-NJ
  • Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
  • Sen. Howard BakerR-TN
  • Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
  • Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
  • Sen. Paul LaxaltR-NV
  • Sen. Jeremiah DentonR-AL
  • Sen. John TowerR-TX
  • Sen. Jake GarnR-UT
  • Sen. Samuel HayakawaR-CA
  • Sen. Dan QuayleR-IN
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 851 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.

Report a correction

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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.

  1. Sep 30, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-270.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 24, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 23, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 50-41. Record Vote No: 354.Senate roll call 354
  5. FloorFloor · Recommitted to Senate Committee on Finance by Yea-Nay Vote. 79-16. Record Vote No: 352.Senate roll call 352
  6. FloorFloor · Motion to table motion to recommit agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51-48. Record Vote No: 350.Senate roll call 350
  7. FloorFloor · Fifth cloture motion on amendment SP2031 not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53-45. Record Vote No: 349.Senate roll call 349
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Finance Committee
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Re-committed to Senate Finance Committee
  10. Sep 21, 1982FloorFloor · Third cloture on amendmemt SP2031 not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53-47. Record Vote No: 346.Senate roll call 346
  11. Sep 20, 1982FloorFloor · First cloture petition to Helms Amendment Sp2031 not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 50-39. Record Vote No: 345.Senate roll call 345
  12. Sep 15, 1982FloorFloor · Third cloture petition on amendment SP2038 not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 50-44. Record Vote No: 343.Senate roll call 343
  13. Sep 13, 1982FloorFloor · Second cloture petition on SP2038 not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 45-35. Record Vote No: 342.Senate roll call 342
  14. Aug 11, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Finance Committee
  15. Jun 23, 1982FloorFloor · Engrossed and Deemed Passed.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Finance Committee
  17. 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.

Report a correction

Official record

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