A bill to provide for a temporary increase in the public debt limit, and for other purposes.
Public Law 98-302 · H.R. 5692 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on May 25, 1984 · Economics and Public Finance
Sponsor: Rep. Daniel Rostenkowski (D-IL-8)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Barber Conable
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 211 yea, 198 nay211–198
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Increases the public debt limit by $30,000,000,000.
Increases the limit on long-term Government bonds to not more than $200,000,000,000 (currently $150,000,000,000).
Grants the Secretary of the Treasury certain miscellaneous administrative authority to the extent provided in advance by appropriation Acts.
Who voted for it
Every House member of the 98th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 213 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
213 yea199 nay21 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(144)
- Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
- Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
- Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
- Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
- Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
- Rep. Sala BurtonD-CA-5
- Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
- Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
- Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-18
- Rep. William FordD-MI-15
- Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7- Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-6
- Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-16
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8- Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
- Rep. Richard OttingerD-NY-20
- Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
Rep. Howard BermanD-CA-26- Rep. Esteban TorresD-CA-34
- Rep. James ShannonD-MA-5
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2- Rep. Thomas FogliettaD-PA-1
- Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24- Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
- Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
- Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
- Rep. Meldon LevineD-CA-27
- Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-10- Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
- Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9- Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
- Rep. Harold FordD-TN-9
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7- Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
- Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
- Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
- Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4- Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
- Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
- Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
- Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
- Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
- Rep. Robert BorskiD-PA-3
- Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
- Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
- Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-18
- Rep. Frank HarrisonD-PA-11
- Rep. Robert EdgarD-PA-7
- Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
- Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-6
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16- Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-33
- Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
- Rep. Bruce MorrisonD-CT-3
- Rep. William RatchfordD-CT-5
- Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
- Rep. Gillis LongD-LA-8
- Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
- Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-21
- Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
- Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
- Rep. Raymond KogovsekD-CO-3
- Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
- Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
- Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
- Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
- Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
- Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
- Rep. Paul SimonD-IL-22
- Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
- Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
- Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-17- Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
- Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
- Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
- Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
- Rep. Harley StaggersD-WV-2
- Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
- Rep. Mario BiaggiD-NY-19
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12- Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
- Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1- Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
- Rep. Leslie AspinD-WI-1
Rep. Harry ReidD-NV-1
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6- Rep. Ronald ColemanD-TX-16
- Rep. Stanley LundineD-NY-34
- Rep. James McNultyD-AZ-5
- Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
- Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
- Rep. Francis McCloskeyD-IN-8
- Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
- Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
- Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
- Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
- Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
- Rep. James ClarkeD-NC-11
- Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4- Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
- Rep. Joseph MinishD-NJ-11
- Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
- Rep. Charles DowdyD-MS-4
- Rep. Wyche FowlerD-GA-5
- Rep. Albert GoreD-TN-6
- Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
- Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
- Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
- Rep. Don FuquaD-FL-2
- Rep. Berkley BedellD-IA-6
Rep. Ike SkeltonD-MO-4- Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
- Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
- Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
- Rep. Ike AndrewsD-NC-4
- Rep. Charles WhitleyD-NC-3
Rep. John SprattD-SC-5
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Jim CooperD-TN-4- Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
- Rep. James RowlandD-GA-8
- Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
- Rep. Robert ThomasD-GA-1
- Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-23
- Rep. Norman SisiskyD-VA-4
- Rep. William LipinskiD-IL-5
- Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-2
- Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Thomas CarperD-DE- Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
- Rep. James OlinD-VA-6
- Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
- Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Republicans who voted yea(69)
- Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
- Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
- Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
- Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-15
- Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-29
- Rep. Sherry BoehlertR-NY-25
- Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
- Rep. Lyle WilliamsR-OH-17
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2- Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
- Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
- Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
- Rep. John McKernanR-ME-1
- Rep. Nancy JohnsonR-CT-6
- Rep. Joel PritchardR-WA-1
- Rep. Jack EdwardsR-AL-1
- Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-4
- Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
- Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16- Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
- Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
- Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
- Rep. James QuillenR-TN-1
- Rep. David MartinR-NY-26
- Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
- Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
- Rep. Edward MadiganR-IL-15
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5- Rep. Elwood HillisR-IN-5
- Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
- Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
- Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
- Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
- Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
- Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-2
- Rep. Herbert BatemanR-VA-1
- Rep. Donald SundquistR-TN-7
- Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
- Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
- Rep. Jack KempR-NY-31
- Rep. Edwin ZschauR-CA-12
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-35- Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-18
- Rep. Carroll CampbellR-SC-4
- Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
- Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
- Rep. James MartinR-NC-9
- Rep. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
- Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
- Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
- Rep. Marjorie HoltR-MD-4
Rep. John McCainR-AZ-1- Rep. James RobinsonR-VA-7
Rep. Trent LottR-MS-5
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-45- Rep. George GekasR-PA-17
- Rep. John ErlenbornR-IL-13
- Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
- Rep. James BroyhillR-NC-10
- Rep. Thomas CorcoranR-IL-14
- Rep. Thomas LoefflerR-TX-21
Rep. Judd GreggR-NH-2- Rep. Barber ConableR-NY-30
- Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
- Rep. Steve BartlettR-TX-3
- Rep. Robert BadhamR-CA-40
- Rep. Richard CheneyR-WY
Data notes
The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 657 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.
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. 11 actions.
- May 25, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-302.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- May 24, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendments, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Dole; Packwood; Roth; Long; Matsunaga.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 211 - 198 (Record Vote No: 178).House roll call 178
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Ways and Means Committee
- May 22, 1984CommitteeCommittee · 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.