A bill to increase the statutory limit on the public debt.
Public Law 98-342 · H.R. 5953 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jul 6, 1984 · Economics and Public Finance
Sponsor: Rep. Daniel Rostenkowski (D-IL-8)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Barber Conable
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 208 yea, 202 nay208–202
- 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 to not more than $1,573,000,000,000 outstanding at one time.
Who voted for it
Every House member of the 98th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 209 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
209 yea203 nay21 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(124)
- Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
Rep. John ConyersD-MI-1- Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
- Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
- Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
- Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-18
- Rep. William FordD-MI-15
- Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
- Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-6
- Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-16- Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
- Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
Rep. Howard BermanD-CA-26
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2- Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
- Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
- Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
- Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
- 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. Barney FrankD-MA-4- Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
- Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
- Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
- Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
- Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
- Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
- Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-18
- 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. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
- Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
- 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. Barbara MikulskiD-MD-3- Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
- Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
- Rep. Raymond KogovsekD-CO-3
- Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
- Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
- Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
- Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
- Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
- Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
- Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
- Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
- Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
- Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
- Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
- 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. Alan MollohanD-WV-1- Rep. Leslie AspinD-WI-1
- Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. Harry ReidD-NV-1
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6- Rep. Ronald ColemanD-TX-16
- Rep. James McNultyD-AZ-5
- Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
- Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
- Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
- Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
- Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
- Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
- Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
- Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
- Rep. James ClarkeD-NC-11
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4- Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-32
- Rep. William BonerD-TN-5
- Rep. Joseph MinishD-NJ-11
- Rep. Charles DowdyD-MS-4
- Rep. Wyche FowlerD-GA-5
- Rep. Albert GoreD-TN-6
- Rep. Cecil HeftelD-HI-1
- Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
- Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
- Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
- Rep. Don FuquaD-FL-2
Rep. Ike SkeltonD-MO-4- Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
- Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
- Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
- Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
- Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
- Rep. Ike AndrewsD-NC-4
- Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
- Rep. Charles WhitleyD-NC-3
- Rep. Abraham KazenD-TX-23
- Rep. Daniel MicaD-FL-14
- Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
- Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
- 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. Kent HanceD-TX-19
- Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
- Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
- Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
- Rep. Jack HightowerD-TX-13
- Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
- Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
- Rep. James LeathD-TX-11
- Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
- Rep. Charlie StenholmD-TX-17
Republicans who voted yea(85)
- 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. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
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. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-5
- Rep. Joel PritchardR-WA-1
- Rep. Jack EdwardsR-AL-1
- Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-4
- Rep. Carl PursellR-MI-2
- Rep. Harold SawyerR-MI-5
- Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
- Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
- Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
- Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
- Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
- Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
- Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
- 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. James CourterR-NJ-12
- Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-2
- Rep. Gene TaylorR-MO-7
- Rep. Arlan StangelandR-MN-7
- Rep. Herbert BatemanR-VA-1
- Rep. Donald SundquistR-TN-7
- Rep. David MarriottR-UT-2
- Rep. William GoodlingR-PA-19
- 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. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
- Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
- Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
- Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
- Rep. Marjorie HoltR-MD-4
Rep. John McCainR-AZ-1- Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
- Rep. James RobinsonR-VA-7
Rep. Trent LottR-MS-5
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-45- Rep. George GekasR-PA-17
- Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
- Rep. James BroyhillR-NC-10
- Rep. Thomas CorcoranR-IL-14
- Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
- Rep. Michael BilirakisR-FL-9
- Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
- Rep. Ron PackardR-CA-43
- Rep. Thomas LoefflerR-TX-21
Rep. Judd GreggR-NH-2- Rep. Barber ConableR-NY-30
- Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
- Rep. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
- Rep. Steve BartlettR-TX-3
- Rep. Connie MackR-FL-13
- 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 768 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. 10 actions.
- Jul 6, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-342.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 29, 1984FloorFloor · Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 208 - 202 (Record Vote No: 299).House roll call 299
- FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
- Jun 28, 1984FloorFloor · Committee on Rules Granted a Rule Providing for Consideration in the House; Waiving all Points of Order Against the Bill and the Ways and Means Committee Amendment, if Offered by the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, for Failure to Comply with the Provisions of Clause 5(…
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Ways and Means Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · 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.