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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)
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This republican teabagger congress will go down as the worst of all time.
Go home. Stay home. We need a part-time legislature, not this monstrosity.
Not a problem, not a problem. Just name 138 post offices to replicate a good piece of the 196 bills passed, and that should bring it to 334 passages, kicking the can down the (potholed, mortgaged to China, flooded) road again.
Giving more money to the government and expecting them to spend less, is like giving a drug addict more dope to help him quit the habit!!!
Go ahead and raise taxes but make every penny taken in used to lower the DEBT not for more programs and give aways.
On the other hand, we have a few zillion too many laws already.
I can't get from the cab to the curb without breaking a few useless statutes.
I say lets go over the cliff. That way we can sit back and watch all the scum die because they wouldn't get off their fat lazy ass and get a job. Then you can go to dear leader and watch as his lot won't change one bit.
Jack-go have a drink! It's really not that bad!
Oh blah, blah, blah, everyone that is different than me is lazy, blah, blah......whatever....LOL
where's the colored kids plan.
I'll be having a drink while you and the rest of your ilk wonder what happened
Same here Jack. A stiff drink and then out to the fields where I will be growing my own food that CAN'T BE TAXED!! Try getting MY food with your f*cking food stamps you lazy ass entitled morons!
Elliott- You are correct that Congress is made up of the House and Senate. i suggest you look at the bills proposed by the House before you criticize poeple's responses. Every budgetary bill and cost cutting measure, every tax proposal by the President and the Senate have all been blocked by the Republican Congress. What have they proposed? Anti-same sex marraige bills, anti-abortion bills - have called for more investigation than any other House in hisotry ( only 3 have found wrong doing) Thye have taken paychecks and done northing for the common person. And by the way, the way they correct local issues is by VOTING IN DC- not spending time in their home state. That would be like a perosn working at an auto manufacturer trying to build a car from home- can't happen.
This article failed to mention that they are the highest paid congress as well....
At this point, I think that a majority of American's are better off if they do nothing compared to doing something.
I hope this is not a surprise to anyone.You get rid of most of the incompotent republicans( Michelle Bachman for one) and all of the tea bagger-supported republicans I will bet Congress ratings would go up.
Boehner will go down in history as being Worthless!! Grover Norquist is speaker of the house.
We need to clean house in 2014 and throw all the GOP trash out!!
Not much of a surprise really... From a guy who was caught handing out lobbyist checks on the floor of the US House, while it was in session..
Total sleaze bag...
exactly the reason the founders tried to prevent the growth of the federal government. 43,000 laws we dont need
earth to the tea party
amazing, since the fed government really started to grow so has the poverty rate, crime rate, wealth gap. etc.
yep look at the military and all the poor people who serve
do we have drunks as our law makers..
Remember all of this great work from them when you vote again.
well the welfare mooches might need a giant federal goverment and 50,000 laws to take care of them. but the rest of us dont
is that a batman riddle
like all liberals who believe in the federal government and its endless stream of laws, im sure you are just the biggest loser on earth
nah..funny how America was created..from .taxes
in your tiny brain you have I bet you think private enterprise created it huh
what would we do without our precious federal government to care for us??
join the military
instead of making new laws/bills they need to look at fixing the ones out there that are messedup
Wonder how many small business owners like myself are posting - anyone? I'd like to hear your thoughts on what the future holds for you and your employees...what your accountants and advisors are saying.
I know a "small" business owner who is vacationing in the Bahamas. He got tired of all of his stateside houses.
No - real small business owners. Not that kind.
I have client who is selling their business. Their business is growing but in order to keep pace they'll need to contract out or hire more people. If they hire more people, their costs will skyrocket and they won't be able to continue on. So they're looking to hand it over to a larger company that can better handle the growth and the costs. Kind of sad in a way. A business built from the ground in their dining room 15 years ago priced out of expansion and continued success.
What are you seeing as a small business owner?
I'm holding fine for now, although my accountant is getting itchy. Changes and letting some people go will have to happen most likely. Time will tell.
Alternatively, my buddy owns a small tree care company, and his accountant has issued a memo to all of their clients explaining ramifications (fica rates going up, moving capital gains asap, health insurance challenges, etc.) and he's going to be in a world of hurt, sadly. He's not making much to begin with, but it's going to get worse. Funny thing is, he needs a few grunt employees to replace two he just had to let go, and he's getting NO bites, where years ago he'd have people lining up for work. One prospect told him, believe it or not, he was better off not working and getting his unemployment. He's clawing and scraping for business, and I hope he pulls through.
There's far too much to get into on here, but it's a sad situation, and sadder when haters think all small business owners make a ton of money. I wish, ha.
Well, from someone who doesn't know your details, let me say: hang in there, if you can.
Tax law is never really certain. And there are always changes and events we have to anticipate or deal with. If it's not the "fiscal cliff", there will be something else. There always is.
In uncertain and dismal economic times, businesses that hang in pick up the business that those who fail leave behind. Capitalism and survival of the fittest at it's best, huh?
I understand what your friend's prospect told him. I pray that sort of comfort or thinking won't stick for that long.
Good luck to you.
Let me ask you a question, though, that I've asked my business owner clients. There was a time when being long term unemployed was somewhat acceptable. Now as things recover (although dismally), if a prospective hire comes to you and he's been out of a job for 2 years, is that still understandable or now unacceptable? I'm trying to see if the extension of unemployment and prolonging of recovery has done these people more harm than good. What are your thoughts?
Excellent question, and boy, how relevant these days. Let's just say I'm a bit more weary these days of seeing long term unemployment because I've heard, first hand, these examples of individuals taking advantage of unemployment and not actively seeking employment.
For example, an acquaintance of mine claims it's easier financially for him to be collecting unemployment (particularly during the summer) so that he can stay home with his young daughter, rather than pay for daycare (his wife works full-time). Others as I've mentioned just would rather not work, as they are getting an unemployment check regularly. And I am hearing this is other industries as well. Where we would be inundated with applications a few years back, now it's very slow...not sure if anyone else is seeing this. My only thought is a) there are less applicants these days because everyone has a job and everything is hunky dory, or b) workers on unemployment have no desire anymore to work, as they're getting compensated for not working. And let's remember, when they become NOT eligible anymore for unemployment, something tells me they'll have become lazy and complacent and may not rush out to find a job.
Sad, but it's the current state of affairs...
so after the steady growth of the fed goverment for about 50 years. and trillions of dollars in spending and debt. we have record poverty, record debt, record deficits, record crime, record unemployment, record college loan debt and defaults and the roads and bridges are crumbling
yep...thank American greedy company's..for not wanting to pay over a McDonald wage huh
This congress will go down in history as the one who could have saved America.
But they will not be able to do that because the slackers in America chose not to work, but to hold out open hands.
YOU helped vote in your own disaster.
If we can hold on for four more years of spending and giving, perhaps THIS time you will pull your heads out and
vote conservative.
If not, we are doomed to socialism.
(and NO I am not a teabagger, I am a REAL conservative and a concerned American)
oh was america created from taxes? what a complete idiot. the constitution was amended to allow the federal goverment to tax in the 1920's
when our forefathers came over from Europe..tax money followed dummy..it was funded by tax money
i can t believe what an idiot you are...
oh thats right koch huh
Joe, Elvis can't help it.
He was "born that way".
I find it beyond belief that the Dumba$$ people who make comments like it's this party's fault or that party's fault don't realize that its both party's fault that nothing gets done. Wake up you sad bunch of losers and think for once before engaging your mouths...
.
why are we doomed as a country? because enough people believe that a small group of people in a small town can save america with some jobs bill..or an endless stream of new laws