Is Congress getting things done?
The number everyone quotes — laws passed — is misleading in two specific ways. A third of them rename post offices, and members can file as many bills as they like, so the “success rate” falls for reasons that have nothing to do with gridlock. Here is the honest version.
Laws passed, Congress by Congress
Dark is substantive legislation. Brass is commemorative — post office namings, medals, and days of recognition.
| Congress | Bills filed | Substantive laws | Commemorative | Share that became law | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 113th 2013–2015 | 9,083 | 242 | 54 | 3.3% | |
| 114th 2015–2017 | 10,223 | 261 | 68 | 3.2% | |
| 115th 2017–2019 | 11,414 | 346 | 97 | 3.9% | most productive |
| 116th 2019–2021 | 14,340 | 264 | 80 | 2.4% | |
| 117th 2021–2023 | 15,232 | 283 | 82 | 2.4% | |
| 118th 2023–2025 | 16,565 | 193 | 81 | 1.7% | |
| 119th 2025–2027 | 15,924 | 101 | 3 | 0.7% | still sitting |
Which party passed more
Counted by the party of the member who wrote the bill. This mostly tracks who held the majority, because the majority decides what reaches a vote.
Where bills die
Of every bill filed in the 113th Congress, this is how far each one got. Most never leave the committee they were sent to.
Every bill and joint resolution introduced. Filing a bill requires no support from anyone else.
242 substantive and 54 commemorative.
Median days from introduction to signature.
Share of bills that attracted at least one co-sponsor from the other party. Co-sponsoring is easy, so read this as a floor.
| How far it got | Bills reaching this point | Share of all bills | Stopped here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filed, and went no further | 9,083 | 100.0% | 4,123 |
| Survived its committee | 4,960 | 54.6% | 4,178 |
| Passed one chamber | 782 | 8.6% | 486 |
| Passed both chambers | 296 | 3.3% | 0 |
| Signed into law | 296 | 3.3% | 296 |
What they actually passed
Laws from the 113th Congress, ordered by how much support they attracted.
| Law | What it does | Written by | Co-sponsors | Days to pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 113-210 | To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to Jack Nicklaus, in recognition of his service to the Na… | Patrick J. TiberiRepresentative · Republican · Ohio · district 12 | 113 D · 191 R | 572 |
| 113-116 | Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2014 | Kay GrangerRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 12 | 157 D · 141 R | 186 |
| 113-89 | Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 | Michael G. GrimmRepresentative · Republican · New York · district 11 | 178 D · 60 R | 143 |
| 113-143 | Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2014 | Kurt SchraderRepresentative · Democrat · Oregon · district 5 | 88 D · 97 R | 476 |
| 113-94 | Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act | Gregg HarperRepresentative · Republican · Mississippi · district 3 | 10 D · 143 R | 322 |
| 113-12 | Stolen Valor Act of 2013 | Joseph J. HeckRepresentative · Republican · Nevada · district 3 | 28 D · 99 R | 139 |
| 113-240 | Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2014 | Lucille Roybal-AllardRepresentative · Democrat · California · district 40 | 102 D · 18 R | 638 |
| 113-166 | Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education Amendments of 2014 | Michael C. BurgessRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 26 | 68 D · 45 R | 595 |
| 113-289 | Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014 | Earl BlumenauerRepresentative · Democrat · Oregon · district 3 | 71 D · 36 R | 505 |
| 113-109 | To amend the Clean Air Act to remove the requirement for dealer certification of new light-duty motor vehicles. | Robert E. LattaRepresentative · Republican · Ohio · district 5 | 43 D · 63 R | 480 |
| 113-291 | Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 | Lou BarlettaRepresentative · Republican · Pennsylvania · district 11 | 15 D · 91 R | 322 |
| 113-46 | Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 | Diane BlackRepresentative · Republican · Tennessee · district 6 | 0 D · 104 R | 87 |
| 113-157 | Autism CARES Act of 2014 | Christopher H. SmithRepresentative · Republican · New Jersey · district 4 | 41 D · 45 R | 91 |
| 113-17 | To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan at the triennial Internation… | Edward R. RoyceRepresentative · Republican · California · district 39 | 26 D · 60 R | 120 |
| 113-66 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Theodore E. DeutchRepresentative · Democrat · Florida · district 21 | 39 D · 43 R | 65 |
| 113-199 | To amend the Federal charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States to reflect the service of women in the… | Jeff MillerRepresentative · Republican · Florida · district 1 | 37 D · 45 R | 85 |
| 113-243 | To amend certain provisions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. | Michael G. GrimmRepresentative · Republican · New York · district 11 | 52 D · 30 R | 538 |
| 113-130 | To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense joint outpatient clinic to be constructed in M… | Sam FarrRepresentative · Democrat · California · district 20 | 62 D · 19 R | 556 |
| 113-296 | United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 | Barbara BoxerSenator · Democrat · California | 47 D · 32 R | 144 |
| 113-45 | To ensure that any new or revised requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment of individuals operatin… | Larry BucshonRepresentative · Republican · Indiana · district 8 | 16 D · 53 R | 33 |
| 113-168 | Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014 | Devin NunesRepresentative · Republican · California · district 22 | 24 D · 37 R | 420 |
| 113-4 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 | Patrick J. LeahySenator · Democrat · Vermont | 52 D · 7 R | 44 |
| 113-270 | No Social Security for Nazis Act | Sam JohnsonRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 3 | 24 D · 24 R | 29 |
| 113-121 | Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 | Bill ShusterRepresentative · Republican · Pennsylvania · district 9 | 14 D · 33 R | 272 |
| 113-233 | Adding Ebola to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act | Tom HarkinSenator · Democrat · Iowa | 26 D · 19 R | 34 |
What Congress spends its time on
Subject areas by number of bills filed in the 113th Congress, and how many of those became law.
| Subject | Bills filed | Became law | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 989 | 22 | 2.2% |
| Taxation | 923 | 7 | 0.8% |
| Armed Forces and National Security | 902 | 32 | 3.5% |
| Government Operations and Politics | 695 | 72 | 10.4% |
| Public Lands and Natural Resources | 647 | 27 | 4.2% |
| Education | 496 | 2 | 0.4% |
| Crime and Law Enforcement | 448 | 11 | 2.5% |
| International Affairs | 360 | 18 | 5.0% |
| Finance and Financial Sector | 350 | 8 | 2.3% |
| Transportation and Public Works | 321 | 18 | 5.6% |
| Labor and Employment | 266 | 2 | 0.8% |
| Economics and Public Finance | 264 | 12 | 4.5% |
| Energy | 257 | 7 | 2.7% |
| Environmental Protection | 248 | 3 | 1.2% |
| Commerce | 205 | 1 | 0.5% |
Where committee referrals go
The 113th Congress's busiest committees, and how many of their referred bills became law.
| Committee | Referrals | Enacted |
|---|---|---|
| Ways and Means Committee (House) | 1,318 | 20 |
| Energy and Commerce Committee (House) | 1,060 | 36 |
| Judiciary Committee (House) | 987 | 27 |
| Natural Resources Committee (House) | 694 | 46 |
| Education and the Workforce Committee (House) | 677 | 11 |
| Finance Committee (Senate) | 561 | 1 |
| Oversight and Accountability Committee (House) | 555 | 52 |
| Financial Services Committee (House) | 502 | 23 |
| Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (Senate) | 470 | 16 |
| Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (House) | 438 | 24 |
Why not rank members by bills passed here?
Ranking members by raw output rewards volume, and filing is free. The Members page scores each member's sponsored bills by how far they actually travelled through the process — with the full arithmetic shown for every member.
Sponsor records for this Congress: 545 members. Data generated 2026-08-21 21:14:06.