Under law at the time of this vote, public employees serving in jobs not covered by Social Security received reduced spousal benefits upon retirement. Many such employees had recently switched to a job covered by Social Security just before retirement--sometimes as late as one day before retirement--in order to avoid this penalty. The Republican leadership in the House considered this an act of fraud, but Progressives considered the rule imposing reduced spousal benefits to be unfair. When this bill to close the job-switching loophole was proposed, Progressives voted against it. The bill was proposed under suspension of the rules, which limits debate and forbids amendments, but which also requires a two-thirds majority for passage. Supporters of the bill could not muster that two-thirds vote, and the Progressive position prevailed on a vote of 249-180, 37 "yes" votes short of the required number.