Ford signs Foreign Assistance Act of 1974 with Nelson-Bingham Amendment requiring congressional notification of major arms sales

President Gerald Ford signs the Foreign Assistance Act of 1974 on December 30, 1974, which includes the Nelson-Bingham Amendment to the Foreign Military Sales Act. The amendment requires the executive branch to notify Congress of any proposed arms sale exceeding $25 million at least 30 days before the sale closes, giving Congress a window to block the transaction by concurrent resolution. Senators Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) and J. William Fulbright championed the provision after Congress discovered the Nixon administration had made secret arms commitments during the Vietnam War without legislative approval. The amendment creates the first statutory congressional check on executive arms sales authority — the foundation that the Arms Export Control Act later expands.