Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory
Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Justin Murray
Information Research Specialist
February 1, 2012
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R41814
CRS Report for Congress
Pr
epared for Members and Committees of Congress

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Summary
Almost all borrowing by the federal government is conducted by the Treasury Department, within
the restrictions established by a single, statutory limit (ceiling) on the total amount of debt that
may be outstanding at any time. By law, the Treasury cannot exceed federal debt limits, so the
Treasury periodically has had to ask Congress to enact new debt limits so it can fulfill its financial
commitments. Since 1978, the statutory federal debt limit has been changed 52 times by Congress
through the enactment of legislation adjusting the federal debt limit, either as stand-alone
legislation or as part of legislation dealing with other matters.
This report provides roll call vote data identified by the Congressional Research Service for
measures to adjust the statutory debt limit. This report will be updated as events warrant.

Congressional Research Service

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 1
Debt Limit Votes: 1978 to Present ................................................................................................... 1
Selected CRS Reports and Resources............................................................................................ 12

Tables
Table 1. Roll Call Votes on Enacted Measures to Adjust the Federal Debt Limit ........................... 2
Table 2. Stand-Alone Debt Limit Measures..................................................................................... 6
Table 3. Other Than Stand-Alone Debt Limit Measures ................................................................. 8

Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 13

Congressional Research Service

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Introduction
Almost all borrowing by the federal government is conducted by the Treasury Department, within
the restrictions established by a single, statutory limit (ceiling) on the total amount of debt that
may be outstanding at any time. By law, the Treasury cannot exceed federal debt limits, so the
Treasury periodically has had to ask Congress to enact new debt limits so it can fulfill its financial
commitments. Since 1978, the statutory federal debt limit has been changed 52 times by Congress
through the enactment of legislation adjusting the federal debt limit, either as stand-alone
legislation or as part of legislation dealing with other matters. Most recently Congress enacted a
deficit reduction plan, the Budget Control Act of 2011, P.L. 112-25. This legislation included
provisions increasing the federal debt limit.1
This report contains information on votes identified by the Congressional Research Service, from
the Legislative Information System (LIS, http://www.congress.gov), as final passage actions for
those measures containing changes to the statutory debt limit from 1978 to the present. This
report provides tallies of votes on final passage for each enacted measure that adjusted the
statutory debt limit from 1978 to present. The process for congressional consideration of bills can
be complex. Attempting to interpret the intent of votes prior to the final vote on passage of a
measure may yield various, and sometimes conflicting, interpretations. For the sake of clarity, the
report provides vote information on the final passage of each measure.2
Debt Limit Votes: 1978 to Present
As noted above, this report identifies information on debt limit legislation and votes on final
enactment in the House and Senate. Other data elements identified in the tables below include bill
number; whether final passage involved a roll call vote, voice vote, or passage by unanimous
consent; dates of final passage and vote tally information; dates of enactment and public law
number for the enacted law; and brief background information on whether the measure was
considered a stand-alone measure (i.e., dealing entirely with just a change to the federal debt limit
and not including provisions on other matters).
Table 1 provides information on all enacted measures to increase or otherwise change the federal
debt limit from 1978 to 2011, including data on the changes to the federal debt limit set at the
time of enactment. The bill number and public law columns of the table provide links to LIS bill
summary and status information for each measure. Roll call votes on final enactment can be
extracted through the major actions display for each measure within LIS back to 1993.3 Also,

1 P.L. 112-25, the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), enacted on August 2, 2011, allows for debt limit increases of
between $2.1 trillion and $2.4 trillion. The BCA stipulated that necessary increases would occur in three stages. The
later two stages were subject to votes on a “joint resolution of disapproval.” Roll call votes on measures of disapproval
included (1) Senate vote on September 8, 2011 (S.J.Res. 25); (2) House vote on September 14, 2011 (H.J.Res. 77); (3)
House vote on January 18, 2012 (H.J.Res. 98); and (4) Senate vote on motion to proceed on H.J.Res. 98 on January 26,
2012. More information on stipulations for debt limit increases included within P.L. 112-25 appear in CRS Report
RL31967, The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, by D. Andrew Austin and Mindy R. Levit.
2 More detailed information on methods employed by Congress to adjust the statutory debt limit appear in CRS Report
RS21519, Legislative Procedures for Adjusting the Public Debt Limit: A Brief Overview, by Bill Heniff Jr.
3 Complete House and Senate roll call vote information is available in LIS back to 1993. Bill number and public law
links in Table 1 connect to bill summary and status information for all measures back to 1978. For the measures listed
from 1993 to the present, member roll call votes can be extracted from the LIS bill summary and status display by
(continued...)
Congressional Research Service
1

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Table 1 contains cross-references to the notes columns in Table 2 and Table 3. The notes
columns in those tables provide additional details on how each measure was considered.
Table 2 identifies stand-alone measures from the period. Table 3 identifies bills considered as
other than stand-alone measures4 and provides brief background information on the nature of
each measure and by what means it was considered.
Table 1. Roll Call Votes on Enacted Measures to Adjust the Federal Debt Limit
(1978 to 2011)
Final House & Senate
Vote Tally & Date of
Votes
Public Law
Temporary
Number &
Debt Limit
Provisions
Date of
Amount
Expiration
Year Bill
Number House Senate
Enactment ($ in billions)
Date
1978
H.R. 11518
233-172
Voice Vote
P.L. 95-252
$752.0 8/01/1978
3/21/1978
3/22/1978
3/27/1978
H.R. 13385
205-202
62-31
P.L. 95-333
$798 3/31/1979
7/19/1978
8/02/1978
8/03/1978
1979
H.R. 2534
209-165
62-33
P.L. 96-5
$830 9/30/1979
(H.Res. 183,
3/27/1979
4/02/1979
4/2/1979)
(See notes
column in
Table 3)
H.R. 5369
219-198
49-29
P.L. 96-78
$879 5/31/1980
9/26/1979
9/28/1979
9/29/1979
1980
H.R. 7471
Voice Vote
47-10
P.L. 96-256
same 6/5/1980
5/30/1980
5/30/1980
5/30/1980
H.R. 7428
335-34
68-10
P.L. 96-264
same 6/30/1980
6/05/1980
6/06/1980
6/06/1980
H.J.Res. 569
6/13/1980
54-39
P.L. 96-286
$925 2/28/1981
(See notes
6/28/1980
6/28/1980
column in
Table 2)
H.J.Res. 570
6/13/1980
Voice Vote
P.L. 96-556
$935.1 None
(See notes
12/12/1981
12/19/1980
column in
Table 2)

(...continued)
clicking on major actions and online links provided to the House and Senate roll call information.
4 Table 3 provides brief background information on whether measures were considered as other than stand-alone bills,
either containing a change to the debt limit as part of a measure dealing with other matters (including omnibus or
consolidated measures or part of continuing resolutions) or pursuant to House rules or budget resolution and budget
reconciliation activities.
Congressional Research Service
2

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Final House & Senate
Vote Tally & Date of
Votes
Public Law
Temporary
Number &
Debt Limit
Provisions
Date of
Amount
Expiration
Year Bill
Number House Senate
Enactment ($ in billions)
Date
1981
H.R. 1553
305-104
73-18
P.L. 97-2
$985 9/30/1981
2/05/1981
2/06/1981
2/07/1981
H.J.Res. 266
5/21/1981
Voice Vote
P.L. 97-48
$999.8 9/30/1981
(See notes
9/29/1981
9/30/1981
column in
Table 2)
H.J.Res. 265
5/21/1981
64-34
P.L. 97-49
$1,079.8 9/28/1981
(See notes
09/29/1981
9/30/1981
column in
Table 2)
1982
H.J.Res. 519
6/23/1982
49-41
P.L. 97-204
$1,143.1 9/30/1982
(See notes
6/23/1982
6/28/1982
column in
Table 2)
H.J.Res. 520
6/23/1982
50-41
P.L. 97-270
$1,290.2 9/30/1983
(See notes
9/23/1982
9/30/1982
column in
Table 2)
1983
H.R. 2990
Voice Vote
51-41
P.L. 98-34
$1,389 None
5/18/1983
5/25/1983
5/26/1983
H.J.Res. 308
214-186
Voice Vote
P.L. 98-161
$1,490 None
11/18/1983
11/17/1983
11/21/1983
1984
H.R. 5692
211-198
Voice Vote
P.L. 98-302
$1,520 None
5/24/1984
5/24/1984
5/25/1984
H.R. 5953
208-202
Voice Vote
P.L. 98-342
$1,573 None
6/29/1984
6/29/1984
7/06/1984
H.J.Res. 654
Unanimous
37-30
P.L. 98-475
$1,823.8 None
Consent
10/12/1984
10/13/1984
10/01/1984
1985
H.R. 3721
300-121
Voice Vote
P.L. 99-155
$1,903.8 12/06/1985
11/13/1985
11/13/1985
11/14/1985
H.J.Res. 372
271-154
61-31
P.L. 99-177
$2,078.7 None
12/11/1985
12/11/1985
12/12/1985
1986
H.R. 5395
216-199
36-35
P.L. 99-384
$2,111 None
8/14/1986
8/15/1986
8/21/1986
H.R. 5300
305-70
61-25
P.L. 99-509
$2,300 5/15/1987
10/17/1986
10/17/1986
10/21/1986
Congressional Research Service
3

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Final House & Senate
Vote Tally & Date of
Votes
Public Law
Temporary
Number &
Debt Limit
Provisions
Date of
Amount
Expiration
Year Bill
Number House Senate
Enactment ($ in billions)
Date
1987
H.R. 2360
296-124
58-36
P.L. 100-40
$2,320 7/17/1987
5/13/1987
5/14/1987
5/15/1987
H.R. 3022
263-155
Voice Vote
P.L. 100-80
same 8/06/1987
7/29/1987
7/29/1987
7/30/1987
H.R. 3190
Voice Vote
51-39
P.L. 100-84
$2,352 9/23/1987
8/07/1987
8/07/1987
8/10/1987
H.J.Res. 324
230-176
64-34
P.L. 100-119
$2,800 None
9/22/1987
9/23/1987
9/29/1987
1989
H.R. 3024
231-185
Voice Vote
P.L. 101-72
$2,870 10/31/1989
8/01/1989
8/04/1989
8/07/1989
H.J.Res. 280
11/07/1989
Voice Vote
P.L. 101-140
$3,122.7 None
269-99
11/07/1989
11/08/1989
1990
H.R. 5350
247-172
Voice Vote
P.L. 101-350
$3,195 10/02/1990
8/03/1990
8/03/1990
8/09/1990
H.R. 5755
Voice Vote
Unanimous
P.L. 101-405
same 10/06/1990
9/30/1990
Consent
10/02/1990
09/30/1990
H.J.Res. 666
362-3
Voice Vote
P.L. 101-412
same 10/09/1990
10/09/1990
10/08/1990
10/09/1990
H.J.Res. 677
379-37
Voice Vote
P.L. 101-444
same 10/24/1990
10/18/1990
10/19/1990
10/19/1990
H.J.Res. 681
380-45
Unanimous
P.L. 101-461
same 10/27/1990
10/24/1990
Consent
10/25/1990
10/24/1990
H.J.Res. 687
283-49
Voice Vote
P.L. 101-467
$3,230 11/05/1990
10/27/1990
10/27/1990
10/28/1990
H.R. 5835
228-200
54-45
P.L. 101-508
$4,145 None
10/26/1990
10/27/1990
11/05/1990
1993
H.R. 1430
237-177
Unanimous
P.L. 103-12
$4,370 09/30/1993
4/02/1993
Consent
4/06/1993
4/05/1993
H.R. 2264
218-216
51-50
P.L. 103-66
$4,900 None
8/05/1993
8/06/1993
8/10/1993
1996
H.R. 2924
396-0
Unanimous
P.L. 104-103
(See notes
03/15/1990
2/01/1996
Consent
02/08/1996
column in
2/01/1996
Table 3)
H.R. 3021
362-51
Voice Vote
P.L. 104-115
(See notes
3/30/1990
3/07/1996
3/07/1996
3/12/1996
column in
Table 3)
H.R. 3136
328-91
Unanimous
P.L. 104-121
$5,500 None
3/28/1996
Consent
3/29/1996
3/28/1996
Congressional Research Service
4

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Final House & Senate
Vote Tally & Date of
Votes
Public Law
Temporary
Number &
Debt Limit
Provisions
Date of
Amount
Expiration
Year Bill
Number House Senate
Enactment ($ in billions)
Date
1997
H.R. 2015
346-85
85-15
P.L. 105-33
$5,950 None
07/30/1997
7/31/1997
8/05/1997
2002
S. 2578
215-214-1
68-29
P.L. 107-199
$6,400 None
6/27/2002
6/11/2002
6/28/2002
2003
H.J.Res. 51
216-211
53-44
P.L. 108-24
$7,384 None
H.Con.Res.
5/23/2003
5/27/2003
95
04/11/2003
(See notes
column
Table 2)
2004
S. 2986
208-204
52-44
P.L. 108-415
$8,184 None
11/18/2004
11/17/2004
11/19/2004
2005
H.J.Res. 47
4/28/2005
52-48
P.L. 109-182
$8,965 None
(See notes
3/16/2005
3/20/2006
column in
Table 2)
2007
H.J.Res. 43
5/17/2007
53-42
P.L. 110-91
$9,815 None
(See notes
9/27/2007
9/29/2007
column in
Table 2)
2008
H.R. 3221
272-152
72-13
P.L. 110-289
$10,615 None
7/23/2008
7/26/2008
7/30/2008
H.R. 1424
263-171
74-25
P.L. 110-343
$11,315 None
10/03/2008
10/1/2008
10/3/2008
2009
H.R. 1
246-183-1
60-38
P.L. 111-5
$12,104 None
2/13/2009
2/13/2009
2/17/2009
H.R. 4314
218-214
60-39
P.L. 111-123
$12,394 None
12/16/2009
12/24/2009
12/28/2009
2010
H.J.Res. 45
233-187
60-39
P.L. 111-139
$14,294 None
2/04/2010
1/28/2010
2/12/2010
2011 S.
365 269-161 74-26
P.L. 112-25a
$16,394 None
8/01/2011
8/02/2011
8/02/2011
Sources: The LIS available at http://www.congress.gov, Annual Congressional Quarterly Almanac volumes, CRS
Report RL31967, The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, by D. Andrew Austin and Mindy R. Levit, and out-
of-print CRS Report 97-297, Debt Limit Increases, 1978 to 1996: Fact Sheet and Uses of the Debt Limit for Other
Legislation.
Enacted levels of Statutory Debt Limit were obtained from the FY2012 Budget Historical Tables
volume, Table 7.3.
Notes: For more information on temporary and permanent increases, see Table 7.3 of the FY2012 Budget
Historical Tables. Measures in Table 1 are organized by year of initial consideration of each measure.
a. P.L. 112-25, the Budget Control Act (BCA) included provisions allowing the debt limit to rise in three
stages—up to $2.4 trillion—following certification by the President that the debt balance was within $100
billion of the current limit. The debt limit as of January 27, 2012, is $16.4 trillion. This $16.4 trillion figure
includes incremental increases of $400 billion (August 2, 2011), $500 billion (September 22, 2011), and $1.2
trillion (January 27, 2012). More information on stipulations for debt limit increases included within P.L.
Congressional Research Service
5

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

112-25 appear in CRS Report RL31967, The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, by D. Andrew Austin
and Mindy R. Levit.
Table 2. Stand-Alone Debt Limit Measures
(1978-2010)
Year of
Public Law Number &
Descriptive Notes on
Enactment Bill
Number Date of Enactment
the Measure
1978
H.R. 11518
P.L. 95-252
None
3/27/1978
H.R. 13385
P.L. 95-333
None
8/03/1978
1980
H.R. 7471
P.L. 96-256
None
6/06/1980
H.J.Res. 569
P.L. 96-286
On June 13, 1980, the day after Congress
6/28/1980
completed action on the FY1981 Budget
Resolution, H.Con.Res. 307, its projected
debt increase was incorporated into H.J.Res.
569, which was then deemed to have been
passed by the House. The measure was
enacted as P.L. 96-286 and included a
temporary extension of the debt limit from
June 30, 1980, to February 28, 1981.
H.J.Res. 570
P.L. 96-556
A debt limit increase was incorporated in
12/19/1980
H.Con.Res. 307, the FY1981 Budget
Resolution passed by the House on June 12,
1980, by a vote of 205-195. H.J.Res. 570 was
enacted as P.L. 96-556. The enacted measure
included a temporary extension of the debt
limit from February 28, 1981, to September
30, 1981.
1981
H.R. 1553
P.L. 97-2
None
2/07/1981
H.J.Res. 266
P.L. 97-48
H.J.Res. 266 was engrossed and deemed
9/30/1981
passed by the House on May 21, 1981. After
passing the Senate, H.J.Res. 266 was enacted
as P.L. 97-48 on September 30, 1981. The
measure raised the temporary debt limit
without altering its September 30, 1981,
expiration date.
H.J.Res. 265
P.L. 97-49
A debt limit figure from H.Con.Res. 307, the
9/30/1981
FY1981 Budget Resolution, was incorporated
into H.J.Res. 265 without a vote. P.L. 97-49 as
enacted extended the temporary limit from
September 30, 1981, to September 30, 1982.
1982
H.J.Res. 519
P.L. 97-204
S.Con.Res. 92, the FY1983 Budget
6/28/1982
Resolution, automatically incorporated
respective debt limit increases in H.J.Res. 519
and H.J.Res. 520. Both measures were
engrossed by the House on June 23, 1982.
H.J.Res. 520 also extended the temporary
debt limit from September 30, 1982, to
September 30, 1983.
Congressional Research Service
6

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Year of
Public Law Number &
Descriptive Notes on
Enactment Bill
Number Date of Enactment
the Measure
H.J.Res. 520
P.L. 97-270
See notes above on H.J.Res. 519.
9/30/1982
1983
H.J.Res. 308
P.L. 98-161
None
11/21/1983
1984
H.R. 5953
P.L. 98-342
None
7/6/1984
H.J.Res. 654
P.L. 98-475
None
10/13/1984
1986
H.R. 5395
P.L. 99-384
None
8/21/1986
1987
H.R. 2360
P.L. 100-40
None
5/15/1987
H.R. 3022
P.L. 100-80
None
7/30/1987
H.R. 3190
P.L. 100-84
None
8/10/1987
1990
H.R. 5350
P.L. 101-350
None
8/09/1990
H.R. 5755
P.L. 101-405
None
10/02/1990
1993
H.R. 1430
P.L. 103-12
None
4/06/1993
2002
S. 2578
P.L. 107-199
The House rol cal votes on P.L. 107-199
6/28/2002
included one member voting “present.”
2003
H.J.Res. 51
P.L. 108-24
On April 11, 2003, pursuant to Rule XXVII,
5/27/2003
H.J.Res. 51 was deemed to have passed the
House as a result of the adoption by the
House and the Senate of the conference
report for H.Con.Res. 95, the FY2004 Budget
Resolution.
2004
S. 2986
P.L. 108-415
None
11/19/2004
2006
H.J.Res. 47
P.L. 109-182
H.J.Res. 47 (P.L. 109-182) was passed
3/20/2006
pursuant to Rule XXVII and H.Con.Res. 95,
the FY2006 Budget Resolution.
2007
H.J.Res. 43
P.L. 110-91
H.J.Res. 43 (P.L. 110-91) was passed by the
9/29/2007
House pursuant to provisions in S.Con.Res.
21, the FY2008 Budget Resolution.
2009
H.R. 4314
P.L. 111-123
None
12/28/2009
Source: The LIS, available at http://www.congress.gov, Annual Congressional Quarterly Almanac volumes, CRS
Report RL31967, The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, by D. Andrew Austin and Mindy R. Levit, and out-
of-print CRS Report 97-297, Debt Limit Increases, 1978 to 1996: Fact Sheet and Uses of the Debt Limit for Other
Legislation.

Notes: Vote tally, enacted debt limit amounts, and other data are available in Table 1. Measures in Table 2 are
organized by year of enactment.
Congressional Research Service
7

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Table 3. Other Than Stand-Alone Debt Limit Measures
(1978-2011)
Public Law
Year of
Number & Date
Enactment Bill
Number of Enactment
Type of Measure
Notes on the Measure
1979
H.R. 2534
P.L. 96-5
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 96-5 included an increase
4/02/1979
included as provision
in savings bonds yields and
within measure on
required Congress and the
other matters
President to present budgets
that would be in balance for
FY1981 and FY1982. See also
H.Res. 183, a resolution
concurring in amendments to
H.R. 2534 as passed by the
Senate. H.Res. 183 was passed
by the House on April 2, 1979,
by a vote of 209-165. House
Roll Vote #133.
H.R. 5369
P.L. 96-78
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 96-78 included an increase
9/29/1979
included within measure
in the amount of long-term
on other matters
bonds that could be
outstanding and established
House Rule 49 making the
increase in the debt limit part
of the budget process (in the
House).
1980
H.R. 7428
P.L. 96-264
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 96-264 included a repeal
6/06/1980
included within measure
of the Presidentially imposed
on other matters
oil import fee under Section
232(b) of the Trade Expansion
Act of 1962
, 19 U.S.C.
18629(b). This legislation was
passed over a Presidential
veto.
1983
H.R. 2990
P.L. 98-34
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 98-34 included making the
5/26/1983
included within measure
whole debt limit permanent
on other matters
and increasing the amount of
long-term bonds that could be
issued.
1984
H.R. 5692
P.L. 98-302
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 98-302 included an
5/25/1984
included within measure
increase in the amount of long-
on other matters
term bonds that could be
issued and provided some
miscellaneous administrative
authority to the Secretary of
the Treasury.
Congressional Research Service
8

Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Public Law
Year of
Number & Date
Enactment Bill
Number of Enactment
Type of Measure
Notes on the Measure
1985
H.R. 3721
P.L. 99-155
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 99-155 included a
11/14/1985
included within measure
requirement to restore Social
on other matters
Security Trust Funds and to
extend for a month a number
of expiring acts, including a
cigarette tax.
H.J.Res. 372
P.L. 99-177
Change in Debt Limit
H.J.Res. 372, enacted as P.L.
12/12/1985
included as part of
99-177, was also a vehicle for
Balanced Budget and
the Balanced Budget and
Deficit Reduction
Emergency Deficit Reduction Act
measure
of 1985. The legislation also
required the Senate Finance
Committee and the House
Ways and Means Committee
to report by July 1, 1986,
legislation for alternative
minimum corporate tax.
1986
H.R. 5300
P.L. 99-509
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 99-509, the Omnibus
10/21/1986
included in Budget
Budget Reconciliation Act of
Reconciliation measure
1986, included a debt limit
increase to Section 8201 of
Title VII of the act. Section
8201 also required the
restoration of lost interest to
certain trust funds.
1987
H.J.Res. 324
P.L. 100-119
Change in Debt Limit
H.J.Res. 324 was also used as
9/29/1987
included as part of a
the legislative vehicle for the
Balanced Budget and
Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Reduction
Deficit Control and Reaffirmation
measure
Act of 1987.
1989
H.R. 3024
P.L. 101-72
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 101-72 included a change
8/07/1989
within measure on
in the method of accounting
other matters
for federal debt instruments.
H.J.Res. 280
P.L. 101-140
Change in Debt Limit
Pursuant to the provisions of
11/08/1989
included within measure
H.Con.Res. 106, the FY1990
on other matters
Budget Resolution, H.J.Res.
280, was considered passed by
the House on May 17, 1989.
The House vote on the
Conference Report for
H.Con.Res. 106 was 241-185.
P.L. 101-140 included a repeal
of Section 89
nondiscrimination, rules that
dealt with employee benefit
plans.
Congressional Research Service
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Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Public Law
Year of
Number & Date
Enactment Bill
Number of Enactment
Type of Measure
Notes on the Measure
1990
H.J.Res. 666
P.L. 101-412
Change in Debt Limit
H.J.Res. 666 was a continuing
10/09/1990
included within measure
appropriations measure that
on other matters
included a debt limit extension.
The House initially passed the
measure by a vote of 305-105
on October 7, 1990. The
Senate took up the measure
and then passed it by
unanimous consent. The
House then passed the Senate
amended measure on October
9, 1990, by a vote of 362-3.
The measure passed the
Senate by unanimous consent
on October 8, 1990, and was
enacted as P.L. 101-412 on
October 9, 1990
H.J.Res. 677
P.L. 101-444
Change in Debt Limit
None
10/19/1990
included in a continuing
resolution
H.J.Res. 681
P.L. 101-461
Change in Debt Limit
None
10/25/1990
included in a continuing
resolution
H.J.Res. 687
P.L. 101-467
Change in Debt Limit
None
10/28/1990
included in a continuing
resolution
H.R. 5835
P.L. 101-508
Change to Debt Limit
A debt limit increase was
11/05/1990
included in Budget
included in Section 11901 of
Reconciliation measure
Title XI of the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of
1990, P.L. 101-508.
1993
H.R. 2264
P.L. 103-66
Change to Debt Limit
A debt limit increase was
8/10/1993
included in Budget
included in Section 13411 of
Reconciliation measure
Title XIII of the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of
1993, P.L. 103-66.
Congressional Research Service
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Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Public Law
Year of
Number & Date
Enactment Bill
Number of Enactment
Type of Measure
Notes on the Measure
1996
H.R. 2924
P.L. 104-103
Addressed parameters
P.L. 104-103 temporarily
2/08/1996
and temporary
exempted from limit
exemptions of certain
obligations in an amount equal
Social Security related
to the monthly insurance
funds from the debt
benefits payable under Title II
limit
of the Social Security Act in
March 1996, The exemption
was set to expire in the event
of an increase in the debt limit
or by March 15, 1996. P.L.
104-115 temporarily exempted
from limit obligations in an
amount equal to the monthly
insurance benefits payable
under Title II of the Social
Security Act
in March 1996 and
certain obligations issued to
trust funds and other Federal
Government accounts, The
exemption was set to expire
on the earlier of an increase in
the limit or by March 30, 1996.
H.R. 3021
P.L. 104-115
Addressed parameters
P.L. 104-115 temporarily
3/12/1996
and temporary
exempted from limit
exemptions of certain
obligations in an amount equal
Social Security related
to the monthly insurance
funds from the debt
benefits payable under Title II
limit
of the Social Security Act in
March 1996 and certain
obligations issued to trust
funds and other Federal
Government accounts. The
exemption was set to expire
on the earlier of an increase in
the limit or by March 30, 1996.
H.R. 3136
P.L. 104-121
Change to Debt Limit
P.L. 104-121, the Contract with
3/29/1996
within measure on
America Advancement Act,
other matters
included an increase in the
debt limit in Title III.
1997
H.R. 2015
P.L. 105-33
Change to the Debt
P.L. 107-199, the Balanced
8/05/1997
Limit included in
Budget Act of 1997 included a
Balanced Budget
debt limit increase in Title V,
measure
Subtitle G.
2008
H.R. 3221
P.L. 110-289
Change to Debt Limit
H.R. 3221 (P.L. 110-289), the
7/30/2008
included within measure
Housing and Economic Recovery
on other matters
Act, included an increase to the
debt limit.
2008
H.R. 1424
P.L. 110-343
Change to Debt Limit
H.R. 1424 (P.L. 110-343), the
10/03/2008
included within measure
Emergency Economic
on other matters
Stabilization Act of 2008,
included an increase to the
debt limit.
Congressional Research Service
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Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present

Public Law
Year of
Number & Date
Enactment Bill
Number of Enactment
Type of Measure
Notes on the Measure
2009
H.R. 1
P.L. 111-5
Change to Debt Limit
H.R. 1 (P.L. 111-5), the
2/17/2009
included within measure
American Recovery and
on other matters
Reinvestment Act of 2009,
included an increase to the
debt limit.
2010
H.J.Res. 45
P.L. 111-139
Change to Debt Limit
During final consideration of
2/12/2010
included within measure
H.J.Res. 45, the House took up
on other matters
a portion of the bill passed by
the Senate with an amendment
that included an increase to
the debt limit and passed this
portion of the measure on
February 4, 2010. The bill also
included provisions related to
“Statutory PAYGO,” and
elimination of “duplicative and
wasteful spending.”
2011
S. 365
P.L. 112-25
Change to Debt Limit
Final legislation was in the
8/02/2011
included within measure
form of a House amendment
addressing deficit
in the nature of a substitute to
reduction
a previously unrelated Senate
bill. The Budget Control Act of
2011 as enacted includes
provisions aimed at deficit
reduction and an increase of
up to $2.4 trillion that would
occur in several stages.
Source: The LIS available at http://www.congress.gov, Annual Congressional Quarterly Almanac volumes, CRS
Report RL31967, The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, by D. Andrew Austin and Mindy R. Levit, and out-
of-print CRS Report 97-297, Debt Limit Increases, 1978 to 1996: Fact Sheet and Uses of the Debt Limit for Other
Legislation.

Notes: Vote tally, enacted debt limit amounts, and other data are available in Table 1. Measures in Table 3 are
organized by year of enactment.
Selected CRS Reports and Resources
CRS Report R41965, The Budget Control Act of 2011, by Bill Heniff Jr., Elizabeth Rybicki, and
Shannon M. Mahan.
CRS Report RL31967, The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, by D. Andrew Austin and
Mindy R. Levit.
CRS Report RS21519, Legislative Procedures for Adjusting the Public Debt Limit: A Brief
Overview
, by Bill Heniff Jr.
Additional CRS products on the federal debt are available from the collections of products under
the Fiscal Challenges Current Legislative Issues at http://www.crs.gov/pages/SubIssue.aspx?
CLIID=2073&parentID=73 on the CRS website. A CRS Key Sources product providing concise
informational and authoritative resources on the federal debt and deficit is available at
http://crs.gov/analysis/keysources/DebtandDeficit/Pages/WKS0001_Overview.aspx.
Congressional Research Service
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Votes on Measures to Adjust the Statutory Debt Limit, 1978 to Present


Author Contact Information

Justin Murray

Information Research Specialist
jmurray@crs.loc.gov, 7-4092


Congressional Research Service
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