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 114th 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.
261 substantive and 68 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 | 10,223 | 100.0% | 4,464 |
| Survived its committee | 5,759 | 56.3% | 4,770 |
| Passed one chamber | 989 | 9.7% | 651 |
| Passed both chambers | 338 | 3.3% | 9 |
| Signed into law | 329 | 3.2% | 329 |
What they actually passed
Laws from the 114th Congress, ordered by how much support they attracted.
| Law | What it does | Written by | Co-sponsors | Days to pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 114-230 | Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act | Sam JohnsonRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 3 | 129 D · 180 R | 568 |
| 114-60 | Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act | Brett GuthrieRepresentative · Republican · Kentucky · district 2 | 47 D · 188 R | 196 |
| 114-286 | Faster Care for Veterans Act of 2016 | Seth MoultonRepresentative · Democrat · Massachusetts · district 6 | 87 D · 141 R | 343 |
| 114-158 | An act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the inurnment in Arlington National Cemetery of the cremate… | Martha McSallyRepresentative · Republican · Arizona · district 2 | 81 D · 110 R | 135 |
| 114-94 | FAST Act | Rodney DavisRepresentative · Republican · Illinois · district 13 | 4 D · 114 R | 332 |
| 114-281 | Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act | Christopher H. SmithRepresentative · Republican · New Jersey · district 4 | 19 D · 97 R | 658 |
| 114-231 | Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 | Edward R. RoyceRepresentative · Republican · California · district 39 | 67 D · 46 R | 505 |
| 114-245 | National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act | Cynthia M. LummisRepresentative · Republican · Wyoming · at-large | 38 D · 48 R | 657 |
| 114-31 | Veterans Identification Card Act 2015 | Vern BuchananRepresentative · Republican · Florida · district 16 | 36 D · 46 R | 195 |
| 114-157 | To amend the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of … | Grace MengRepresentative · Democrat · New York · district 6 | 74 D · 2 R | 161 |
| 114-224 | Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial Commission Act | Stacey E. PlaskettDelegate · Democrat · Virgin Islands · at-large | 73 D · 3 R | 485 |
| 114-153 | Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 | Orrin G. HatchSenator · Republican · Utah | 28 D · 36 R | 287 |
| 114-159 | American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016 | Kevin BradyRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 8 | 18 D · 43 R | 37 |
| 114-256 | Veterans Mobility Safety Act of 2016 | Jackie WalorskiRepresentative · Republican · Indiana · district 2 | 24 D · 27 R | 461 |
| 114-215 | John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission Act | Joseph P. Kennedy IIIRepresentative · Democrat · Massachusetts · district 4 | 26 D · 19 R | 18 |
| 114-147 | National POW/MIA Remembrance Act of 2015 | Stephen F. LynchRepresentative · Democrat · Massachusetts · district 8 | 20 D · 25 R | 400 |
| 114-198 | Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 | Sheldon WhitehouseSenator · Democrat · Rhode Island | 25 D · 17 R | 526 |
| 114-236 | Survivors' Bill of Rights Act of 2016 | Mimi WaltersRepresentative · Republican · California · district 45 | 28 D · 12 R | 105 |
| 114-2 | Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act | Timothy J. WalzRepresentative · Democrat · Minnesota · district 1 | 26 D · 13 R | 36 |
| 114-81 | Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 | Madeleine Z. BordalloDelegate · Democrat · Guam · at-large | 19 D · 20 R | 273 |
| 114-114 | Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 | Frank Pallone Jr.Representative · Democrat · New Jersey · district 6 | 32 D · 5 R | 299 |
| 114-122 | North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 | Edward R. RoyceRepresentative · Republican · California · district 39 | 13 D · 23 R | 378 |
| 114-49 | To designate the "PFC Milton A. Lee Medal of Honor Memorial Highway" in the State of Texas. | Lamar SmithRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 21 | 11 D · 24 R | 78 |
| 114-22 | Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 | John CornynSenator · Republican · Texas | 14 D · 21 R | 136 |
| 114-75 | Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 | Stephen F. LynchRepresentative · Democrat · Massachusetts · district 8 | 27 D · 6 R | 296 |
What Congress spends its time on
Subject areas by number of bills filed in the 114th Congress, and how many of those became law.
| Subject | Bills filed | Became law | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 1,223 | 21 | 1.7% |
| Taxation | 1,045 | 4 | 0.4% |
| Armed Forces and National Security | 902 | 41 | 4.5% |
| Government Operations and Politics | 715 | 101 | 14.1% |
| Crime and Law Enforcement | 641 | 19 | 3.0% |
| Public Lands and Natural Resources | 561 | 14 | 2.5% |
| Education | 521 | 4 | 0.8% |
| Transportation and Public Works | 453 | 22 | 4.9% |
| Finance and Financial Sector | 451 | 6 | 1.3% |
| International Affairs | 425 | 20 | 4.7% |
| Energy | 335 | 1 | 0.3% |
| Environmental Protection | 326 | 4 | 1.2% |
| Immigration | 291 | 1 | 0.3% |
| Labor and Employment | 268 | 2 | 0.7% |
| Commerce | 263 | 10 | 3.8% |
Where committee referrals go
The 114th Congress's busiest committees, and how many of their referred bills became law.
| Committee | Referrals | Enacted |
|---|---|---|
| Ways and Means Committee (House) | 1,435 | 35 |
| Energy and Commerce Committee (House) | 1,325 | 32 |
| Judiciary Committee (House) | 1,175 | 28 |
| Finance Committee (Senate) | 752 | 10 |
| Education and the Workforce Committee (House) | 720 | 6 |
| Natural Resources Committee (House) | 621 | 28 |
| Financial Services Committee (House) | 557 | 16 |
| Oversight and Accountability Committee (House) | 539 | 90 |
| Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (Senate) | 519 | 11 |
| Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (House) | 509 | 43 |
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: 543 members. Data generated 2026-08-21 21:14:06.