In 1980, a five-year, $1.6 billion Superfund program was authorized to clean up hazardous waste sites created before the federal government began to regulate the disposal of such wastes. Since the program began, EPA has placed over 800 sites on its priority clean up list. When Superfund came up for reauthorization in 1985, environmentalists strongly advocated a five-year, $10 billion Superfund.

In this vote, Sen. Symms (R-ID) offered an amendment to the $7.5 billion Senate Superfund bill to reduce the amount of spending authorized for the years 1986-1990 to only $5.7 billion. Symms Amendment rejected 15-79; September 20, 1985. NO is the pro-environmental vote. (Symms Amendment to S. 51, Fiscal 1986-90 Superfund Reauthorization.) Although both Houses of Congress passed Superfund legislation in 1985, final passage did not occur until October 1986. Despite veto threats, President Reagan signed the new $9 billion Superfund bill into law.