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BumRushDaShow

(144,779 posts)
Mon Dec 30, 2024, 11:38 AM Dec 30

The 118th Congress passed the fewest laws in decades

Source: Axios

5 hours ago






If measured by the number of bills signed into law, the 118th Congress was by far the most unproductive since at least the 1980s, according to data from public affairs firm Quorum.

Why it matters: That is not the only metric of success, but the stunning stat is a marker of how difficult the chaos of the last two years made actual legislating.

  • Every fiscal deadline led to brinksmanship between the Republican House and the Democratic Senate and White House.
  • House Republicans were also beset by infighting and palace intrigue, most notably the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
  • Throughout the disarray, trust between House Democrats and Republicans reached a low ebb— making bipartisan compromise rare.


  • By the numbers: The 118th Congress passed just under 150 bills over the last two years, according to the Quorum data provided to Axios.

  • That's down from more than 350 passed in the previous Congress — in which Democrats held control of both chambers and the White House.
  • The 17 Congresses since the start of George H.W. Bush's presidency in 1989 have passed an average of more than 380 laws.


  • Zoom in: Split partisan control of Congress and the White House can account for much of the disparity.

  • Aside from this Congress, the previously most unproductive sessions were the 112th and 113th — in which Republicans controlled the House and clashed bitterly with President Obama.
  • After that, it was the 104th, in which President Clinton faced a similar dynamic with a Republican-controlled Congress.
  • Still, those Congresses passed more than 270, 280 and 310 bills, respectively, making them far more productive than the 118th.


  • Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/12/30/congress-118th-passed-fewest-laws
    16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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    The 118th Congress passed the fewest laws in decades (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Dec 30 OP
    How many did they repeal or kill? Marthe48 Dec 30 #1
    The House killed bills passed by the senate. The Senate killed bills passed by the house. onenote Dec 30 #11
    The party of NO to us. YES to billionaires. Not there for legislation. SupportSanity Dec 30 #2
    ... BumRushDaShow Dec 30 #3
    Sorry. I was soldering when I was eight years old and.... SupportSanity Dec 30 #8
    I remember as a kid wanting to do that BumRushDaShow Dec 30 #12
    Oh, yeah! Fisher was great. SupportSanity Dec 30 #13
    By the people, of the people, and for the people dickthegrouch Dec 30 #7
    Steal from the people. SupportSanity Dec 30 #9
    IS that a bad thing? I don't think so. There are plenty of laws. Groundhawg Dec 30 #4
    All the rules are changing. SupportSanity Dec 30 #10
    If they're gonna break them, then why make them? RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Dec 30 #5
    Rethug obstructionism dickthegrouch Dec 30 #6
    Oh come on, give them a break. sheshe2 Dec 30 #14
    Well first they had to actually get a SOH BumRushDaShow Dec 30 #15
    That too! sheshe2 Dec 30 #16

    onenote

    (44,858 posts)
    11. The House killed bills passed by the senate. The Senate killed bills passed by the house.
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 03:35 PM
    Dec 30

    Bottom line -- not a lot of bills made it to the president's desk

    SupportSanity

    (1,191 posts)
    2. The party of NO to us. YES to billionaires. Not there for legislation.
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 12:01 PM
    Dec 30

    They've been there to get Trump in and then let the billionaires take over.

    BumRushDaShow

    (144,779 posts)
    3. ...
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 12:21 PM
    Dec 30


    (OT - now THAT is a geek alternative to the paperclip (as an old chem major who had to take a semester of an electricity and magnetism physics course)! )

    SupportSanity

    (1,191 posts)
    8. Sorry. I was soldering when I was eight years old and....
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 03:29 PM
    Dec 30

    putting together radio kits, etc. Heathkit, Radioshack,Allied, etc.

    The pic seemed appropriate. But lately I'm thinking of using Brawndo - it has what plants crave. Dunno. Still debating it.

    Several people have corrected my spelling resistEr and resistOr.

    Anyway,

    Thanks for noticing!!!

    BTW - I never had a chem class - ever. I worked for a electro-chem company as a consultant and they loved me because they knew that I wasn't going to steal their formulas.

    BumRushDaShow

    (144,779 posts)
    12. I remember as a kid wanting to do that
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 03:55 PM
    Dec 30

    and try to get my dad's old Fisher hi-fi amp/receiver to work. I don't recall the exact model but it was one of these -



    I later realized that it probably needed new tubes.

    SupportSanity

    (1,191 posts)
    13. Oh, yeah! Fisher was great.
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 04:11 PM
    Dec 30

    When I was a kid, my older sister had one similar to yours and I was jealous!!!

    I miss the days of simplicity, two speakers, tubes, dial tuning.

    I'm thinking about going back to a regular old flip phone. I miss that too.

    Oh, and the cabinet made of wood. I miss that too.

    dickthegrouch

    (3,638 posts)
    7. By the people, of the people, and for the people
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 12:53 PM
    Dec 30

    Has become a quaint anachronism.
    Oligarchs and corporations do not fit any of the three requirements.

    SupportSanity

    (1,191 posts)
    9. Steal from the people.
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 03:31 PM
    Dec 30

    We've just been seeing the previews.

    Timothy Snyder says the first six months will be terrible.

    I believe him.

    5. If they're gonna break them, then why make them?
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 12:47 PM
    Dec 30

    Disclaimer: subject title is tongue in cheek.

    Looks like many of our laws are not worth the paper they're written on, as evidenced by the courts during the trump era. An era that seems never ending.

    sheshe2

    (88,383 posts)
    14. Oh come on, give them a break.
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 04:59 PM
    Dec 30

    They were a little bit too busy with hours upon hours, weeks upon weeks of extremely important testimony about Hunter Biden. He was a threat to our National security and MTG had the nudes to prove it!!!! They didn’t have enough time to pass any stinking laws.


    BumRushDaShow

    (144,779 posts)
    15. Well first they had to actually get a SOH
    Mon Dec 30, 2024, 05:46 PM
    Dec 30

    and finally did so after 15 votes over several days... while the Clerk of the House was actually running the House sessions. Then they had to spend time getting rid of him, culminating in weeks trying to get a new one, where an "Acting SOH" was installed (with limited powers), with his most important duty being to kick Speaker Emeritus Pelosi and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer out of their offices.

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