The Clipper Chip didn't fail because of any vote, and a Congressional vote wasn't really necessary because it was intended to be a "opt-in" technology mainly for telcos and electronics manufacturers. It was never adopted due to backlash and criticism, but it's not as if they were explicitly banned from similar pursuits.

Of course, that isn't to say that this justifies recent actions or is really even relevant to the latest releases, but you made the connection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper_chip