Ronald Reagan called for a policy of "constructive engagement" and vetoed the bill; however, his veto was overridden.
Dellums was criticized for his support of Fidel Castro's involvement with the MPLA in Angola and was called a "Castroite congressman" by the conservative press.
As an expression of his adoration for the Sandinista regime, Dellums was a plaintiff in a lawsuit, filed by the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), to prohibit covert actions against the Sandinista communist regime.
Dellums bill, HR 3884, introduced in congress June 11, 1981, was first announced as a project of the marxist Institute for Policy Studies in 1976, and is virtually the "outline" for Hillary Rodham Clintons "National Health Care Plan".