In his second term, President Harry Truman condemned the snail's pace at which lawmakers actually got some work done, labeling it a "Do-Nothing" Congress. After all, the 80th Congress (1947-1948) only passed 906 bills over its two-year period.
The current Congress, by comparison, has passed just 196 bills, easily the lowest total since the U.S. House Clerk's office started keeping track. Consider the progress in chart form, which should drive home just how unproductive the 112th Congress (2011-2012) really is.
In fairness, I should note that the current Congress still has another month to go, and I suppose it's possible that there will be a flurry of progress and constructive policymaking. But given partisan differences and a shrinking calendar, I'm pretty comfortable with the notion that this will be the least productive of any modern Congress by a large margin.
This is not, by the way, the inevitable result of divided government (one party controlling the House; the other party controlling the Senate). There have been plenty of other Congresses, some quite recently, with a Democratic Senate and a Republican House, but their bill totals weren't nearly this anemic.
When evaluating whether this is, in fact, the worst Congress ever, keep this tidbit in mind.
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In reply to Shooter, what rock do you live under?? The Democrats are not perfect but they are not to blame for the mess we are in...George Bush stated before he was even elected he was going after Saddam Hussein, I saw the video....so he had an agenda and used the 9/11 attacks to lie about the WMDs, and our stupid congress fell for it....but he put us in 2 wars that have costs us thousands of lives and billions of dollars and it is still costing us in both....the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy when we could least afford it and the deregulation of the banking industry sent us into the worst failure for this day and time....and then the Republicans signed a pact to never pass anything that the President wanted no matter how much it was needed or would help the people or the country.....what kind of men do this?? The Jobs bill, the Transportation bill, the Highway bill to build and reinforce our infratructure, and the worst failure to me is the Veterans bill, that would have helped the Veterans who are giving the biggest sacrifice of all, why did they do that? They even helped write it.....because they could not do anything to help the President? In my opinion they are the worst Republicans I have ever seen in office, and I am a Senior Citizen....of course they consider me a moocher....But what are they....they receive a pension for life after 4 yrs....and one of them said SS paid into for 25 yrs was not meant to be given for 30 yrs, well they don't deserve the salaries, expense accounts, retirement, and the best healthcare ever, why is it they want to cut programs for the middle incomes and low incomes but not theirs?? They are still acting like spoiled kids, it is their way or no way, well I want the President to hold firm and not give them anything...the people deserve better than these radical idiots.....who only care about themselves....
196 Bills passed and 186 were probably abortion related. Can you say obsessed? And to think, all those abortion bills pandering to their extreme base and the rewards were little if at all at the polls.
Boy, those wacky Repubs MUST REALLY BE anti-murder....*sigh*
GOP obstructionists have turned a "can-do" nation into a "do-nothing" nation. They are now officially anti-American
Only if you think that having 47 MILLION on foodstamps and Welfare at ALL TIME HIGHS was really what the founding fathers had in mind...
scott
Do you really have any idea what the Founding Fathers had in mind? Have you ever read anything by them? Or read books they read that would have formed their opinions? Because I have and I can tell from your statements you haven't a clue about Age of Enlightenment thinking.
Here are some T. Jefferson quotes pertinent to our elected officials, specifically Mr.Boehmer (House National Hostage Taker) and Mr McConnell (Senate filibuster Champion). Both, whether in a majority or minority position are destructive in the execution of the majority will and keep perverting ( rather than upholding) the sanctity of their desk/constitutional oath. By vote of their peers or by will of the people, they should loose the power given to them. Wishful thinking?, maybe. Yet it's doable.
Rebellion, Right and Wrong
"Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends [i.e., securing inherent and inalienable rights, with powers derived from the consent of the governed], it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." --Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence, 1776. ME 1:29, Papers 1:315
"The paradox with me is how any friend to the union of our country can, in conscience, contribute a cent to the maintenance of anyone who perverts the sanctity of his desk to the open inculcation of rebellion, civil war, dissolution of government, and the miseries of anarchy." --Thomas Jefferson to William Plumer, 1815. ME 14:235
This Nation was founded in rebellion against the overbearing and over taxing of an out of touch distant Government....see any resemblance?
The Nation was founded because that distant government wouldn't allow the Colonies representation in Parliament. Have you ever heard the phrase "No taxation without representation"? You have representation scott. Crappy representation if it's a Republican but it's representation.
Willow-2847307 is right about needing a reformed filibuster. It will be amusing watching them actually have to hold the mike and read the phone book on ESPN while a tag line runs under it explaining what they are filibustering against. I HATE that all they have to do is threaten "filibuster" and everything shuts down.
This of course, is assuming they succeed in changing the rules back to the old way on day one.
Hi Rachel,
I always appreciate your honest work of bringing forth the truth of things that many of us are unaware of that goes on in Washington just like this graph.
These Do-Nothing Congress(men) have the audacity to complain about big government spending. Has it ever occurred to them or don't they realize that government, we tax payers, ESPECIALLY those who elected them to Congress are paying them salaries for doing-nothing-in Congress?
Do Republicans who elected these do-nothing-Congress(men) want to know how much in salary they are paying them for doing nothing?
Oh, actually, the Tea Party and some Republicans are sooo proud to pay some of these R- Congressmen just for saying "No". Come to think of it... that a R-Congressman at least said "No" is really better than nothing, you think?
Who would have thought that "No" is the most expensive word in the world, especially in this economy.
Republican voters, when your do-nothing Congress(men) goes up for re election, take real pride and finally have the sense to take your turn and either :
say "NO!" or
say "Yes!" to Democrats or Independents ...or just......
DO NOTHING!!!!
"However, I remember well in 2008, John McCain was interviewed, and the interviewer said, "If 78% of your constituents want this, why do you vote against it?" His answer tells us a whole lot about the GOP, he said, "I don't care what the people want. I know what they NEED. And that's how I will vote." We might as well be children, cared for by the babysitter."
This statement being made, leaves no wonder in my mind, why the GOP doesn't agree on anything presented by the democratic party. They are so disconnected from the will of the majority of Americans, there is no chance of compromise. We want the house to pass the middle class tax cuts, and increase the taxes on the upper class 2%. Ask any multi- millionair, they have stated publicly they are willing to pay a little more, but of course the GOP disagrees with them, that's what they do.
They block legislation. They amass huge amounts of hard and soft money. They rely on special interest groups to write public policy. If they must continue maybe we should make some changes. http://chasmcduffee.blogspot.com/2012/12/suggestions-to-improve-congress.html We have blogs, twitter, facebook, Youtube let's talk!
Sorry I don't buy this article. "Do Nothing" congress because they don't load up the law books?!?!
Why do we need more laws and regulations?
Why is that the measuring stick of productivity of our congress?
Did they remove old laws that are no longer useful?
Okay they didn't pass any laws; well what did they do? Read the Health Care Plan?
Think People. Think for yourself, Question Authority - yes media included under 'authority' since they seem to be the ones providing the information they could be considered 'authority' and they- the media- need to be questioned.