Congress · Laws

A bill to continue in effect any authority provided under the Department of Justice Appropriation Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1980, for a certain period.

Public Law 97-7 · S. 840 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Apr 9, 1981 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 368 yea, 2 nay368–2
SenateVoice vote

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 #21 (368-2))

Declares that the authority and limitation on authority contained in the Department of Justice Appropriation Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1980, shall continue in effect from April 6, 1981, through September 30, 1981.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 97th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 369 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

369 yea2 nay61 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(208)

Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Tom HarkinD-IA-5
Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
Rep. George CrockettD-MI-13
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Shirley ChisholmD-NY-12
Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Phillip BurtonD-CA-6
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Frederick RichmondD-NY-14
Rep. John BurtonD-CA-5
Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-20
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Harold FordD-TN-8
Rep. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-21
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. William BrodheadD-MI-17
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Harold WashingtonD-IL-1
Rep. Jonathan BinghamD-NY-22
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-13
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-12
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Henry ReussD-WI-5
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-11
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Richard OttingerD-NY-24
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-14
Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. James HowardD-NJ-3
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. George DanielsonD-CA-30
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Robert EdgarD-PA-7
Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-7
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-16
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. Albert GoreD-TN-4
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-15
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. Barbara MikulskiD-MD-3
Rep. Raymond KogovsekD-CO-3
Rep. Robert MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. Geraldine FerraroD-NY-9
Rep. Donald BaileyD-PA-21
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-23
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-15
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-27
Rep. Mario BiaggiD-NY-10
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. James MattoxD-TX-5
Rep. Adam BenjaminD-IN-1
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Peter PeyserD-NY-23
Rep. John FaryD-IL-5
Rep. Joseph MinishD-NJ-11
Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. William RatchfordD-CT-5
Rep. James BlanchardD-MI-18
Rep. Tom LantosD-CA-11
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-37
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Clement ZablockiD-WI-4
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. Leslie AspinD-WI-1
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. David EvansD-IN-6
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-22
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-36
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Stanley LundineD-NY-39
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Cecil HeftelD-HI-1
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
Rep. Donald AlbostaD-MI-10
Rep. Wyche FowlerD-GA-5
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. David BowenD-MS-2
Rep. Allen ErtelD-PA-17
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
Rep. Berkley BedellD-IA-6
Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. Clarence LongD-MD-2
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Floyd FithianD-IN-2
Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
Rep. William BonerD-TN-5
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. James JonesD-OK-1
Rep. Bo GinnD-GA-1
Rep. Ike AndrewsD-NC-4
Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
Rep. Abraham KazenD-TX-23
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-28
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
Rep. Norman D’AmoursD-NH-1
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
Rep. Daniel MicaD-FL-11
Rep. Kenneth HollandD-SC-5
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-2
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Don FuquaD-FL-2
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. Charles WhitleyD-NC-3
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-9
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-10
Rep. Jack BrinkleyD-GA-3
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. William PatmanD-TX-14
Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Ike SkeltonD-MO-4
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Andrew JacobsD-IN-11
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Richard WhiteD-TX-16
Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
Rep. Billy EvansD-GA-8
Rep. Elliott LevitasD-GA-4
Rep. Jack HightowerD-TX-13
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. William NicholsD-AL-3
Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Rep. Kent HanceD-TX-19
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Lawrence FountainD-NC-2
Rep. John BreauxD-LA-7
Rep. Ronald MottlD-OH-23
Rep. Sam HallD-TX-1
Rep. Andy IrelandD-FL-8
Rep. Richard ShelbyD-AL-7
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. James LeathD-TX-11
Rep. Charlie StenholmD-TX-17
Rep. Dan DanielD-VA-5
Rep. Buddy RoemerD-LA-4
Rep. Phil GrammD-TX-6
Rep. Robert StumpD-AZ-3
Rep. Lawrence McDonaldD-GA-7

Republicans who voted yea(160)

Rep. Harold HollenbeckR-NJ-9
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-18
Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-12
Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
Rep. Lawrence DeNardisR-CT-3
Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Charles DoughertyR-PA-4
Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-26
Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-34
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Lyle WilliamsR-OH-19
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-25
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Eugene AtkinsonR-PA-25
Rep. Joel PritchardR-WA-1
Rep. Thomas RailsbackR-IL-19
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. James NelliganR-PA-11
Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-17
Rep. William WamplerR-VA-9
Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Arlen ErdahlR-MN-1
Rep. Harold SawyerR-MI-5
Rep. Millicent FenwickR-NJ-5
Rep. David EmeryR-ME-1
Rep. Donald ClausenR-CA-2
Rep. Jack EdwardsR-AL-1
Rep. Thomas EvansR-DE
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-17
Rep. Paul FindleyR-IL-20
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-7
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. James DunnR-MI-6
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. Tennyson GuyerR-OH-4
Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
Rep. John StantonR-OH-11
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Elwood HillisR-IN-5
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. James CourterR-NJ-13
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. James CoyneR-PA-8
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. Paul TribleR-VA-1
Rep. Marion SnyderR-KY-4
Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
Rep. Lynn MartinR-IL-16
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. William CarneyR-NY-1
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Skip BafalisR-FL-10
Rep. Clarence BrownR-OH-7
Rep. Edward WeberR-OH-9
Rep. George WortleyR-NY-32
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-6
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. David MartinR-NY-30
Rep. Robert McCloryR-IL-13
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. Cleveland BenedictR-WV-2
Rep. Larry WinnR-KS-3
Rep. Edwin BethuneR-AR-2
Rep. Steven GundersonR-WI-3
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Thomas EvansR-IA-3
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. Virginia SmithR-NE-3
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-19
Rep. Carroll CampbellR-SC-4
Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
Rep. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-1
Rep. William MooreR-LA-6
Rep. Bob McEwenR-OH-6
Rep. Ronald MarleneeR-MT-2
Rep. Arlan StangelandR-MN-7
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Jack KempR-NY-38
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-12
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. John ErlenbornR-IL-14
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. Thomas CorcoranR-IL-15
Rep. David StatonR-WV-3
Rep. Edwin ForsytheR-NJ-6
Rep. Donald RitterR-PA-15
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-42
Rep. James RobinsonR-VA-7
Rep. Trent LottR-MS-5
Rep. Gregory CarmanR-NY-3
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Gary LeeR-NY-33
Rep. Thomas HagedornR-MN-2
Rep. Bud ShusterR-PA-9
Rep. John LeBoutillierR-NY-6
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. Robert DanielR-VA-4
Rep. Clair BurgenerR-CA-43
Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-18
Rep. Kenneth KramerR-CO-5
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. William HendonR-NC-11
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-37
Rep. Daniel CoatsR-IN-4
Rep. Thomas LoefflerR-TX-21
Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
Rep. James BroyhillR-NC-10
Rep. William GoodlingR-PA-19
Rep. Mickey EdwardsR-OK-5
Rep. Marjorie HoltR-MD-4
Rep. Robert DornanR-CA-27
Rep. Clint RobertsR-SD-2
Rep. Judd GreggR-NH-2
Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
Rep. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
Rep. Edward DerwinskiR-IL-4
Rep. Wayne GrishamR-CA-33
Rep. John WeberR-MN-6
Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
Rep. John HilerR-IN-3
Rep. Manley ButlerR-VA-6
Rep. Richard CheneyR-WY
Rep. James SensenbrennerR-WI-9
Rep. Bill EmersonR-MO-10
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. Robert BadhamR-CA-40
Rep. Daniel LungrenR-CA-34
Rep. John AshbrookR-OH-17
Rep. Larry CraigR-ID-1
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Gerald SolomonR-NY-29
Rep. Norman ShumwayR-CA-14
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Jack FieldsR-TX-8
Rep. John RousselotR-CA-26
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16
Rep. George HansenR-ID-2
Rep. William DannemeyerR-CA-39
Rep. David DreierR-CA-35
Rep. James JeffriesR-KS-2
Rep. Denny SmithR-OR-2
Rep. Phil CraneR-IL-12
Rep. Daniel CraneR-IL-22

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 16 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.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Judiciary Committee · House · discharged from, referred to

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. 10 actions.

Apr 9, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-7.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Apr 8, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments by Voice vote.
Apr 7, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 368 - 2 (Record Vote No: 21).House roll call 21
FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
Apr 1, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
Mar 31, 1981FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Voice Vote.
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.

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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.