How productive was Congress? Not very.
- Congress passed just a handful of bills that went on to become laws
- They kept busy voting, holding more votes than any year in the past decade
- Most laws that were passed did so unanimously or with little resistance
The Capitol Dome is seen as lawmakers prepare to depart for the holiday recess, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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(NewsNation) — The 118th Congress has been one of the least productive in decades.
The Republican-led house passed just 27 bills that went on to become laws, The New York Times reported, citing a Bipartisan Policy Center analysis. That’s despite holding 724 votes; the most in the past 10 years, the newspaper reported.
In 2013, the House passed 72 bills that were signed into law, The New York Times noted. Republicans controlled the House and Democrats controlled the Senate that year too.
Congress’ accomplishments in 2023 fall short of other historically unfruitful first years, according to Axios, which analyzed data from the firm Quorum. Some productivity was delayed by fighting among Republicans.
The majority of bills that were passed did so unanimously or with little resistance. They included measures to raise the debt ceiling or prevent government shutdowns.
In a historic turn of events, the U.S. House also struggled to elect a new speaker.
The weeks-long dispute ended in October when the chamber’s Republicans voted to elect Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson.
