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An act to increase the permanent public debt limit, and for other purposes.

Public Law 98-34 · H.R. 2990 · 98th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on May 26, 1983 · Economics and Public Finance

Sponsor: Rep. Daniel Rostenkowski (D-IL-8)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Barber Conable

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateRecorded vote: 51 yea, 41 nay51–41
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.

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Summary

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

Increases the public debt limit from $400,000,000,000 to $1,389,000,000,000.

Repeals the provision of the Act of September 30, 1982, which provides for temporary increases in the public debt limit.

Increases the limit on long-term government bonds to not more than $150,000,000,000 (currently, $110,000,000,000).

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 98th 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 yea41 nay8 present or did not vote

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(12)

  • Sen. Carl LevinD-MI
  • Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA
  • Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT
  • Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
  • Sen. Spark MatsunagaD-HI
  • Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
  • Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
  • Sen. Bill BradleyD-NJ
  • Sen. John GlennD-OH
  • Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
  • Sen. Russell LongD-LA
  • Sen. John StennisD-MS

Republicans who voted yea(39)

  • Sen. Mark AndrewsR-ND
  • Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
  • Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
  • Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
  • Sen. William CohenR-ME
  • Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
  • Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
  • Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
  • Sen. Henry HeinzR-PA
  • Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
  • Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
  • Sen. Rudy BoschwitzR-MN
  • Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
  • Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
  • Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
  • Sen. John DanforthR-MO
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. Slade GortonR-WA
  • Sen. Robert KastenR-WI
  • Sen. William RothR-DE
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. Howard BakerR-TN
  • Sen. Alan SimpsonR-WY
  • Sen. James AbdnorR-SD
  • Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
  • Sen. Warren RudmanR-NH
  • Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
  • Sen. Pete WilsonR-CA
  • Sen. Richard LugarR-IN
  • Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
  • Sen. Paul LaxaltR-NV
  • Sen. Jacob HechtR-NV
  • Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
  • Sen. Dan QuayleR-IN
  • Sen. Jeremiah DentonR-AL
  • Sen. Jake GarnR-UT
  • Sen. James McClureR-ID
  • Sen. Malcolm WallopR-WY
  • Sen. Barry GoldwaterR-AZ
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 115 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.

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.

  1. May 26, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-34.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. May 25, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 51-41. Record Vote No: 115.Senate roll call 115
  5. May 24, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Finance Committee
  6. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Finance Committee
  7. May 18, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
  8. FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Finance Committee
  10. May 13, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Ways and Means Committee
  11. May 12, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Ways and Means Committee
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by House Ways and Means Committee
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
  14. 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.