Congress · Laws

An original joint resolution relating to the approval and implementation of the proposed agreement for nuclear cooperation between the United States and the People's Republic of China.

Public Law 99-183 · S.J.Res. 238 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 16, 1985 · Energy

Sponsor: Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 307 yea, 112 nay307–112
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.

Declares that the Congress favors the Agreement for Cooperation with China (relating to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy).

Prohibits the issuance of a license for the export, transfer, or retransfer of any nuclear materials, facilities, or components to China until: (1) 30 days after the President has certified to the Congress that such materials and facilities shall be utilized solely for peaceful purposes; (2) China has provided the United States additional information concerning its nuclear nonproliferation policies; and (3) the President submits to the Speaker of the House and a specified Senate committee a report concerning China's nuclear nonproliferation policies.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 99th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 311 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

311 yea113 nay10 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(209)

Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. John ConyersD-MI-1
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Charles HayesD-IL-1
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Ed TownsD-NY-11
Rep. George CrockettD-MI-13
Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-17
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-18
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-16
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Sala BurtonD-CA-5
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-6
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
Rep. Harold FordD-TN-9
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Gary AckermanD-NY-7
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. William FordD-MI-15
Rep. Esteban TorresD-CA-34
Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Thomas FogliettaD-PA-1
Rep. Howard BermanD-CA-26
Rep. Bruce MorrisonD-CT-3
Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
Rep. James HowardD-NJ-3
Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
Rep. Jim MoodyD-WI-5
Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-18
Rep. James WeaverD-OR-4
Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Thomas MantonD-NY-9
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Albert BustamanteD-TX-23
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-17
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-6
Rep. Richard LehmanD-CA-18
Rep. Chester AtkinsD-MA-5
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Robert BorskiD-PA-3
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Robert EdgarD-PA-7
Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-10
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-33
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Kenneth GrayD-IL-22
Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. Catherine LongD-LA-8
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Peter ViscloskyD-IN-1
Rep. Stanley LundineD-NY-34
Rep. Tom LantosD-CA-11
Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. Berkley BedellD-IA-6
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. Robert MrazekD-NY-3
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. Ronald ColemanD-TX-16
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Leslie AspinD-WI-1
Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
Rep. William RichardsonD-NM-3
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. Rick BoucherD-VA-9
Rep. Edward FeighanD-OH-19
Rep. Mario BiaggiD-NY-19
Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
Rep. Robert TorricelliD-NJ-9
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Marcy KapturD-OH-9
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Robert WiseD-WV-3
Rep. John BryantD-TX-5
Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Jim BatesD-CA-44
Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-8
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Terry BruceD-IL-19
Rep. Charles WhitleyD-NC-3
Rep. Daniel MicaD-FL-14
Rep. Tom DaschleD-SD
Rep. Charles DowdyD-MS-4
Rep. Harry ReidD-NV-1
Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
Rep. Bart GordonD-TN-6
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-11
Rep. Richard DurbinD-IL-20
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-32
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Jim CooperD-TN-4
Rep. Don FuquaD-FL-2
Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. John SprattD-SC-5
Rep. Paul KanjorskiD-PA-11
Rep. Wyche FowlerD-GA-5
Rep. Norman SisiskyD-VA-4
Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
Rep. Butler DerrickD-SC-3
Rep. Cecil HeftelD-HI-1
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-2
Rep. James RowlandD-GA-8
Rep. Buddy MacKayD-FL-6
Rep. Robert ThomasD-GA-1
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Jim ChapmanD-TX-1
Rep. Thomas CarperD-DE
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Robin TallonD-SC-6
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Ben ErdreichD-AL-6
Rep. James OlinD-VA-6
Rep. James SlatteryD-KS-2
Rep. Richard StallingsD-ID-2
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-23
Rep. Buddy DardenD-GA-7
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-11
Rep. Richard ShelbyD-AL-7
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Timothy PennyD-MN-1
Rep. John BreauxD-LA-7
Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. Richard RayD-GA-3
Rep. Buddy RoemerD-LA-4

Republicans who voted yea(102)

Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-15
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-29
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-22
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Nancy JohnsonR-CT-6
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Sherry BoehlertR-NY-25
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Carl PursellR-MI-2
Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-4
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-5
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. Joseph DioGuardiR-NY-20
Rep. Thomas RidgeR-PA-21
Rep. John McKernanR-ME-1
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. John MillerR-WA-1
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. John MyersR-IN-7
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-2
Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. James QuillenR-TN-1
Rep. John RowlandR-CT-5
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. Paul HenryR-MI-5
Rep. Virginia SmithR-NE-3
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. Herbert BatemanR-VA-1
Rep. William MooreR-LA-6
Rep. Elwood HillisR-IN-5
Rep. Jim SaxtonR-NJ-13
Rep. Steven GundersonR-WI-3
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-18
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-14
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Donald RitterR-PA-15
Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Edward MadiganR-IL-15
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. John McCainR-AZ-1
Rep. Marjorie HoltR-MD-4
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Thomas EvansR-IA-3
Rep. William FranklinR-MS-2
Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-8
Rep. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
Rep. Mickey EdwardsR-OK-5
Rep. James LightfootR-IA-5
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. Thomas LewisR-FL-12
Rep. William CarneyR-NY-1
Rep. William DickinsonR-AL-2
Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. Edwin ZschauR-CA-12
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-20
Rep. Jim KolbeR-AZ-5
Rep. Harris FawellR-IL-13
Rep. Lynn MartinR-IL-16
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-15
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. George GekasR-PA-17
Rep. Eldon RuddR-AZ-4
Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. John GrotbergR-IL-14
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. Andy IrelandR-FL-10
Rep. John HilerR-IN-3
Rep. Bobbi FiedlerR-CA-21
Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
Rep. Howard NielsonR-UT-3
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Alfred McCandlessR-CA-37
Rep. Daniel LungrenR-CA-42
Rep. Robert BadhamR-CA-40
Rep. Jack FieldsR-TX-8
Rep. Joe BartonR-TX-6
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Richard CheneyR-WY
Rep. Robert StumpR-AZ-3
Rep. William DannemeyerR-CA-39

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 413 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.

Foreign Relations Committee · Senate · markup by, reported original measure

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. 9 actions.

Dec 16, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-183.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Dec 12, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Dec 11, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 307 - 112 (Record Vote No: 451).House roll call 451
FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
Nov 21, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
Nov 14, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported original measure by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Nov 13, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Foreign Relations Committee

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.