With House Democrats primed to pass President Obama’s health-care reform with zero Republican votes, The Daily Caller looked at the history of major entitlement legislation, and found that everything from the Social Security Act of 1935 to its largest overhaul (in 2003, under President Bush) all passed with bipartisan support. If the current bill goes through, it will be the first major legislation in the history of 75 years of social welfare programs in the country to do so with only one party’s backing.
1935: Social Security Act
House: 372 to 33
- Yeas: 284 Democrats, 81 Republicans, 7 other
- Nays: 15 Democrats, 15 Republicans, 3 other
Senate: 77 to 6
- Yeas: 60 Democrats, 16 Republicans, 1 other
- Nays: 1 Democrat, 5 Republicans
President Franklin Roosevelt, Democrat, signed the bill into law in August, 1935.
1956: Amendments to Social Security creating the Social Security disability program.
House: 371 to 31
- Yeas: 203 Democrats, 169 Republicans
- Nays: 8 Democrats, 23 Republicans
Senate: 90 to 0
- Yeas: 45 Democrats, 44 Republicans, 1 Independent
- Nays: 0
President Eisenhower signed the bill into law on Aug. 1, 1956.
1965: Medicare and Medicaid, amendments to the Social Security Act
House: 307 to 116
- Yeas: 237 Democrats, 70 Republicans
- Nays: 48 Democrats, 68 Republicans
- 10 not voting
Senate: 70 to 24
- Yeas: 57 Democrats, 13 Republicans
- Nay: 7 Democrats, 17 Republicans
- 6 not voting
President Lydon B. Johnson, a Democrat, signed the bill into law on July 30, 1965.
1996 Welfare Reform, also known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
House: 328 to 100
- Yeas: 98 Democrats, 230 Republicans
- Nays: 97 Democrats, 2 Republicans, 1 Independent
- 5 not voting
Senate: 78 to 21
- Yeas: 25 Democrats, 53 Republicans
- Nays: 21 Democrats
- 1 not voting
President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, signed the bill into law on Aug. 22, 1996.
1997: SCHIP: State Children’s Health Insurance Program
House: 346 to 85
- Yeas: 151 Democrats, 193 Republicans
- Nays: 51 Democrats , 32 Republicans, 1 Independent
- 4 not voting
Senate: 85 to 15
- Yeas: 42 Democrats, 43 Republicans
- Nays: 3 Democrats, 12 Republicans
Clinton signed it into law Aug. 5, 1997.
2003: The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA)
House: 220 to 215
- Yeas: 16 Democrats, 204 Republicans,
- Nays: 189 Democrats, 25 Republicans, 1 Independent
Senate: 54 to 44
- Yeas: 11 Democrats, 42 Republicans, 1 Independent
- Nays: 35 Democrats, 9 Republicans
- 2 not voting
President George W. Bush, a Republican, signed the bill into law on Dec. 8, 2003.
On last nod to the past: The Congressional Budget Office is off on its estimates of health-care costs more often than not.
Contact Aleksandra at: ak[at]dailycaller[dot]com.