Vote Tallies

1972 Amendments

This legislation in 1972 (P.L. 92-603, which began life in the House as H.R. 1) created the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The SSI program was the final legislative disposition of a much more comprehensive welfare reform proposal sponsored by the Nixon administration. In effect, SSI federalized the various existing state welfare programs that were typically known as the "adult categories" of aid, that is, aid to the needy eldery, blind and disabled. There was very little opposition to the bill once it was presented to the two chambers in the form of a Conference Report, which is the vote recorded here. There was only one "NO" vote in either house on the Conference Report, although the large number of members not voting may have been an indication of some implicit opposition to the bill.