118th US Congress Reaches New Dysfunctional Highs, Data Reveals

New data shows just how unproductive Washington lawmakers have been compared to previous years.

Those who endorse the maxim “the government that governs best is the government that governs least” will be pleased to know 2023 is shaping up to be one of Capitol Hill’s most unproductive years ever.

Data supporting the claim was released Monday when it was revealed only 24 bills have been passed by both the US Senate and House of Representatives this year. Legislation must be cleared by both chambers before becoming law in the United States.

What’s more, only 20 of those bills have been signed by US President Joe Biden, giving them the full force of law.

Much of what the 118th Congress has passed is likely to appeal only to a few niche segments of the population. Numismatists can look forward to a coin celebrating the 250th anniversary of the US Marine Corps (complete with a website to mark the occasion, keeping graphic designers in Washington gainfully employed). Several Veterans Affairs clinics were also renamed to honor local military heroes.

“You’re rewarding the wrong kind of behavior here,” said retiring Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) recently, lamenting the increasing trend towards theatrics in Congress rather than productivity and cooperation. “My concern is the trend has just begun, it’s not ending. And my sense is, I can just do more constructive things with my life.”

2023 seems poised to set another record as large numbers of US lawmakers announce their retirements before next year’s election cycle.

Observers point to “divided government” as one cause for the logjam. Republicans control the House of Representatives, while Democrats narrowly control the Senate and Democrat Joe Biden sits in the White House.

The 104th, 112th, and 113th Congresses saw a similar lack of productivity with Republicans controlling legislative bodies and Democrats Barack Obama and Bill Clinton controlling the executive branch.

But those legislative sessions still saw between 70 and 73 laws passed. Congress still has another year to go before the end of the 118th session, but analysts believe 2024 could be even less productive as the politics of a presidential election year come into view.

Progress was stymied this year by unprecedented drama surrounding former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The House held an unprecedented 15 rounds of voting in January before finally confirming him, then spent three weeks without a speaker at all when Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) toppled McCarthy by October.

Data shows the trend towards shrinking productivity is increasing, with five of the six most unproductive years for the US Congress occurring since 2011.