Reagan signed the redress bill only after cost-spreading concessions were negotiated.

Evidence

The conference report that reconciled the difference between the House and Senate bills and took President Reagan’s concerns into account was filed on July 26, 1988. As a result, on August 1, 1988, President Reagan sent a letter to House Speaker Jim Wright expressing his support for the “substantially improved” bill. He added, “The enactment of H.R. 442 will close a sad chapter in American history in a way that reaffirms America’s commitment to the preservation of liberty and justice for all. I urge the House of Representatives to act swiftly and favorably on the bill.” — Dorothy A. Brown, Getting to Reparations, 231

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘substantially improved’ bill after concessions parallels the legislative-tradeoff mechanics of the earlier chapters’ institution-design analysis.