The 2023 Congress started with so many promises. A promise to pass a budget, the promise of a productive Congress, and above all a promise that this Congress was going to focus on issues affecting everyday people.
I think, from all accounts, it is safe to say that none of those promises came true. We sit nearly a year later, and many should be asking: What happened? In 2023, Congress passed fewer bills into law than any Congress for decades. Just 27.
Just 27 bills passed into law. Let’s consider the scope of a lack of work ethic by our elected representatives. Each member of Congress receives a salary of at least $174,000. There are 435 of them. Not counting their Members Representation allowances which is another minimum of $1 million per representative, that is just over $75 million dollars in congressional salaries alone. That equates to about $2.8 million dollars in congressional salary for each bill passed into law.
I know that it is easy to jump to the conclusion, “What did you expect?” After all, while the Republicans control the House the Senate and White House are controlled by Democrats. Split government is not a new thing in American politics. In fact, in 2019 then-Speaker Pelosi faced the same challenges with Trump in the White House and McConnell controlling the Senate with an iron fist. Yet, that year, according to Roll Call, 105 bills were passed into law. Roughly four times as many.
There is a disturbing trend overall that fewer and fewer bills are making it to the President’s desk every year. Historically, it was not uncommon for hundreds of bills to be debated and passed into law every year. That required something that we do not have right now. It required a Congress that was willing to come together and put the people of the United States first. Now, to quote a Broadway musical, “I am not sure what they are for or against really, except each other.” That type of thinking has paralyzed our country, bringing us to the brink of shutdown over and over and ignoring the critical needs of our citizens.
That’s not to say that nothing was accomplished this year. There was a grueling process to choose the speaker of the house. Twice. And, we can’t forget the expulsion of George Santos, the petty criminal and grifter Republican from Long Island—only the sixth time a sitting member of Congress has been expelled. That’s something, right?
In the end, what I found most telling was the number of representatives from both parties who decided to retire. Many cite the fact that they just don’t feel like Congress is getting anything done anymore as their reason for departure.
Even former Speaker McCarthy, who, just about a year ago, promised us a Congress that was going to get down to business and focus on governing, is throwing in the towel early. It kind of makes you wonder if he knows something we don’t.
David Roth is a higher education administrator and a member of the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee.