E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSAccording to a recent Gallup poll, only 18% of Americans say they approve of the work this Congress has done -- so it's more than likely it won’t go down as one of the more popular congressional bodies.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Construction continues on the viewing stands for President Barack Obama's January's Inauguration Day ceremonies, early Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
But with only weeks to go before it concludes, the 112th Congress (2011-2012) is on track to make another type of history.
By passing just 196 bills into law so far, it is in the running to become the least productive Congress since the 1940s.
In fact, that amount is 710 fewer public laws than was produced by the 80th Congress (from 1947-48), which first earned the moniker "Do-Nothing" Congress.
The lack of legislation passed by Congress in recent years has become frustrating to many lawmakers. Outgoing Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) decided not to run for re-election because of the congressional gridlock, partisan politics, and lack of work being done on Capitol Hill.
Rep.-elect Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., and Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., talk about the possibility of a bipartisan deal to avoid the fiscal cliff.
“As I have long said, what motivates me is producing results for those who have entrusted me to be their voice and their champion, and I am filled with that same sense of responsibility today as I was on my first day in the Maine House of Representatives. I do find it frustrating, however, that an atmosphere of polarization and ‘my way or the highway’ ideologies has become pervasive in campaigns and in our governing institutions,” Snowe said in a statement announcing her retirement last February.
The U.S. House Clerk’s office keeps official records of all congressional activity dating as far back as 1947. During those 65 years and 33 different Congresses, more than 20,000 public laws have been passed.
The 104th Congress (1995-1996) currently holds the record low for passing the fewest pieces of legislation since 1947 -- just 333 bills were passed into law during that two-year span.
A non-partisan group determined to fix the sky-rocketing national debt went to Capitol Hill Wednesday, meeting with both Republican and Democratic leaders. David Cote, chairman and CEO of Honeywell, was among the leaders and he recapped the meeting to NBC's Andrea Mitchell.
The 107th Congress (2001-2002) is next, passing only 377 new laws during its time in Washington.
To avoid earning the distinction as the least productive Congress since 1947, 138 bills must move through the House and Senate before the end of this Congress next month.
And with just 11 scheduled voting days left before the House’s target adjournment date for the year -- and with all eyes fixed on the looming fiscal cliff -- time is running out.
The number of bills passed into law by Congress since 1947:
80th: 906
81st: 921
82nd: 594
83rd: 781
84th: 1,028
85th: 936
86th: 800
87th: 885
88th: 666
89th: 810
90th: 640
91st: 695
92nd: 607
93rd: 649
94th: 588
95th: 634
96th: 613
97th: 473
98th: 623
99th: 664
100th: 713
101st: 650
102nd: 590
103rd: 465
104th: 333
105th: 394
106th: 580
107th: 377
108th: 498
109th: 482
110th: 460
111th: 383
112th: 196 (so far)
Leave a Comment:
The only reason the GOP still control the house is GerryMandering.
They cheated...again.
The GOP controlled legislatures of States redistricted to create republican strongholds.
F*Cking cheaters!
That is the only way they could win anything....fortunately, the POTUS could NOT be bought.
Thank the good Lord! Amen!
The less legislation these clown pass the better off the American people are.
Wan't to know who's to blame? Just look in the mirror. If we're so dissatisfied with this Congress then why did we re-elect nearly every darn one of them?
First of all the GOP/Tea Beggers have no "Reasoning Skills," and they have less ability to 'comprehend' all information presented to them. The GOP/RNC have even more issues 'understanding' any facts presented to them. The GOP/RNC consistently show a glaring lack of 'competence,' and their behaviors are very 'odd.' Again! Now the GOP/Tea Beggers have a lack of ability to think independently, and like to sign "Blind Tax Pledges." The GOP/RNC "Zombies" did not see that "Goofy Grover" is just "Mentally Ill." There is nothing reasonable, rational, and ethical about "Goofy Grover." This "Economic Coward" created a crazy "Tax Pledge," and this 'wimp' sold off his pledge to the US Constitution. That is fact America!
So, what else is new?
What do we pay these people to do??? It seems they do very little and earn too much.
Politics is the art of compromise. If they can't do that, they can't do anything.
Crap runs downhill, and we have a crappy President.
If Obama can keep us out of the middle east and still wield influence in the UN.
We will leave Afghanistan. We will redistribute our forces throughout the world based on new intel and facts.
Penetta is still the SecDef.
That man is scary.
Peace will reign everywhere except Syria and ....?
This may be the least productive Congress in seventy years, but it the highest paid ever. How stupid are we all to keep electing the same greedy, lazy, self-indulgent congressmen over and over?
i don't get it....those that wanted romney said he was a great business man and therefore would be better at turning the economy around...i thought he bought and sold companies then laid off all of the workers then he and other ceo's pocketed the money from the sale.....what the %^@# kind of way is that to do business!
No, you certinly don't get it, and the media didn't want you to get it. For every one positive article on Romney the mainstream press put out there were 34 negative stories published. Bain Capital has a great record of buying companies in danger and turning them around to be profitable. Many companies. They just didn't want you to know that, and you failed to root out the truth for yourself. Romney is a great businessman and if there's one thing this country needed, he was it. Too bad for us.
Romney was a moron. He ran on Bain Capital and at the same time ran away from the negative things Bain did. If Bain was so good in building experience, why not tout that, including the failings? He ran on the Olympics experience, not mentioning that it was successful because of the Fed bailout. He ran on tax reform, and never mentioned specifics. Businessman? Even a small business applicant has to defend his business plan.
"For every one positive article on Romney the mainstream press put out there were 34 negative stories published."
Actually, that ratio pretty much sums up Romney for me. Why are we even still talking about that loser?
Let the 112th congress fade into oblivion. Tax rates return to their pre-Bush levels, the payroll tax reduction expires, and the sequesters kick in. All of congress will feel some heat but the fire will be situated in the Repubican caucus of both chambers. Democrats really have nothing to lose as the vast majority of Americans are learning a well-defined lesson: the Republican definition for 'compromise' is surrender. If that had been the will of the American people, we would be referring to president-elect Romney today. Note the absence of that happening.
I'm tired of these republicans blocking everything and jamming up the whole system. If that is all they can do then why even have them around? The whole country would be better off without them.
The Republican party is quickly becoming a parody of itself. I predict a three way split in the next four years.
Gee it has come up from what it was last year when I saw data that said Congress had a 7% approval rating. Without the Republicans it is a whopping 12% according to that data. Does this mean the Republicans have gotten better while the Democrats have stayed the same?
It's great that so few new laws were passed! Why does the article make it sound like a bad thing?
It's called governing....something the GOP is very poor at.
Look at the approval rating of the Pelosi congress. Over 50%.
This is not a presidential or Senate issue.This is about Congress people not doing the job that the American taxpayers are paying them to do.When American voters go to the polls they should keep these results in mind and stop voting to put incumbents in office.These people who do not do their jobs would be fired in the private sector.Congress people are paid excellent salaries with benefits and pensions to boot.They need to stop their immature thinking and get the job done.We the people should start emailing and calling our Congress people to let them know that their lack of work ethic's and responsibility is not acceptable.
Just, it is called gerrymandering and the over-paid legislators are masters at it. We hired these folks (collective we) and we can fire them regardless of Grover and the absurd pledge.
this country has a congress ??,,,,
The 112th Congress...finally something for which the Boner and the GOP can claim full credit.
What do they win? A medal, or a chest to pin it on? Mitch the Bitch should get the first swift kick in the ass, followed by Boner, then Ryan, etc, etc... They most certainly earned the name "DO NOTHING" Congress!
Can America get along without the Repukes? Probably not, but i would not mind seeing about 90% of them gone come 2014. Try working for us, and not against us, be the "DO SOMETHING" Congress!
......paired with the most useless president in history that was voted in by the least intelligent electorate in history!
Oh we are all most definitely screwed.....
Your reply did prove one thing...................some americans are very unintelligent. you just have to look in the mirror.
70%of our deficit was created by the Bush tax cuts
20% came from the 2 UNECESSARY wars
Obama didn't create these problems
So please grow up. p.s. did you get a chance to look in the mirror yet?
Are Bush and Cheney allowed out of the country yet? Or will they still be arrested for war crimes?
This is a GREAT time to be in Congress! Fundraising is through the roof... EVERYBODY is setting records that way... You may have a 9% or even an 18% approval rating... but you have a 95% reelection rate.
And the losers just become lobbyists...which ironically may be the first time they actually deal with making legislation for the country..
Getting into congress is like winning the lottery!
And evidently, US voters like it that way..because we return Congress election after election, no matter what.
I congratulate Congress on outwitting the US voter. They are simply smarter than us, and are feasting on our remains.
No secret, the American people are well aware of their representatives, 2014 looms boys, time to cull the over-stuffed, over-paid, under-achievers of the Party of No. Gerrymandering is such a beautiful thing, keep the Tea Bags and the other wanna bes in office. Boehner, Cantor etal, so proud of this dubious achievement, they keep repeating it, forget America first, Grover before the Country, Ideology before the Country, Self-justification before the Country, Self-righteous before the Country, Social Control before the Country, Pay Raises before the Country, Rich Perks before the Country, Corporate Welfare before the Country, I am sure I've missed a few but the sane among us get my gist. America first and I mean all Americans not just the select few and uber-rich class.
Socialism before the country! Right skyparrot?
Never...
Death first....
VA=Socialism, Medicare=Socialism, Medicaid=socialism, Corporate Welfare=socialism, No Bid Defense Contracts=socialism, Social Security=socialism, US House of Representatives=socialism, Senate=socialism....?
Brian, pick your poison
Hey, Brain35897...you still shop at Walmart?
Then you still support the real, kids-crushed-under-tanks variety of socialism that rules China- even as you cry us a river of crocodile tears about the "socialism" of the charitable Christian values the Left still honors and the Right has abandoned in pursuit of naked avarice. Sorry, bub- neither socialism nor your brown-shirted fascism will prevail on my watch.
FeO2 is collered brown (with a tinge of commie red).
Brian thought of a few more: Farm subsidies=socialism, FEMA=socialism, Highway Trust Fund=socialism, NASA=socialism, with the exceptions of defense contractors, house members, corporate welfare and perks, I consider the above to be in the best interests of the American people, we are knee deep in "socialism" regardless of what your perceptions are, we are care for each other, Corporations are Not people my friend.
Corporations ARE people my friend.. or do you think they HIRE robots?
Oh and you are right skyparrot, we ARE knee deep in socialism AND DEBT! Obama wants us NECK deep!
Were you alive during the Bush years FeO2 Dreams? Then you are USED to failing on your watch... right?
Charitable Christian values? Like late term abortion? LOLOLOL
The Senate and the House of Representatives are not a form of government and therefore are NOT socialism. They are part of a government though. Currently our form of government is a Capitalist Democracy. There is a far cry difference between social programs and a Socialist government. We became a socialist government when the government started controlling, buying out, and taking over private industry.
Welcome to the Obama years and to financial ruin and government dependence. Welcome to the middle class bailing out the big businesses with their taxes courtesy of Obama. Then you Democrats have the audacity to state Obama is for the little guy! Oh let's not forget, after bailing out the big business with the middle classes money, Obama gives the ret of it away to the "entitled" that feel they don't have to work to live.
Screw Obama may he rot in hell.
Overheard in the House restrooms..."Oh, dang- they're on to us- what now? Oh- I got it- let's ty to distract 'em with some lies about whatsername....same last name as Bush's cabana girl, different first name...oh, yeah- Rice!"
Then all of the Democrats pull out their Obama phones and start calling each other trying to figure out how to pay the phone bill.
Brian, the free phone stuff started under Bush, check it out, true. Actually the program started in 1995 by ATT etc., no federal money was involved. The cell phone program started under Bush, go figure.
That's not what the Obamaphone lady said on youtube. I take her as the average example of a liberal Democrat.
And if it started "under" Bush, I'm sure it was started by some Democrat "under" Bush. Not "by" Bush or any Republican.
Surprise, surprise
Is it any coincidence that big government occurs when
1. labor movements have been suppressed
2. the inequity of wealth is worse than most all the other countries in the world
3. Corporations are the primary beneficiaries of welfare
4. the wealthy pass off the national debt to the working Americans
5. the rich don't work for their wealth but gain it from defrauding working class credit and home loans
6. the moral hazard of wealth entitlement is worse than the despiration of the poor
7. the wrong doing of the rich is overlooked while the possession of an ounce of week can keep you in prison
8. the defense of our nation depends upon the profitability of defense contractors instead of a military designed to respond to the threats we really face
9. the insistance of a religious right to life under all conditions, but the refusal to provide health care to the poor under any condition
10. the love of money is the only God religious people know and worship, and churches flaunt tax laws in engaging in political campaigning
Thank you DL, good post, sums up Today's Conservative.