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 117th 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.
283 substantive and 82 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 | 15,232 | 100.0% | 8,411 |
| Survived its committee | 6,821 | 44.8% | 5,807 |
| Passed one chamber | 1,014 | 6.7% | 649 |
| Passed both chambers | 365 | 2.4% | 0 |
| Signed into law | 365 | 2.4% | 365 |
What they actually passed
Laws from the 117th Congress, ordered by how much support they attracted.
| Law | What it does | Written by | Co-sponsors | Days to pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 117-79 | Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act | Mike QuigleyRepresentative · Democrat · Illinois · district 5 | 186 D · 145 R | 212 |
| 117-37 | PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act | Steve StiversRepresentative · Republican · Ohio · district 15 | 120 D · 197 R | 177 |
| 117-243 | Big Cat Public Safety Act | Mike QuigleyRepresentative · Democrat · Illinois · district 5 | 206 D · 52 R | 708 |
| 117-228 | Respect for Marriage Act | Jerrold NadlerRepresentative · Democrat · New York · district 10 | 189 D · 0 R | 148 |
| 117-244 | Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act | Andy BarrRepresentative · Republican · Kentucky · district 6 | 70 D · 113 R | 666 |
| 117-107 | Emmett Till Antilynching Act | Bobby L. RushRepresentative · Democrat · Illinois · district 1 | 180 D · 1 R | 449 |
| 117-105 | Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act | Susan WildRepresentative · Democrat · Pennsylvania · district 7 | 136 D · 30 R | 375 |
| 117-129 | Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 | Jahana HayesRepresentative · Democrat · Connecticut · district 5 | 127 D · 2 R | 4 |
| 117-175 | Patient Advocate Tracker Act | Lisa C. McClainRepresentative · Republican · Michigan · district 10 | 53 D · 69 R | 324 |
| 117-179 | To designate the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Mishawaka, Indiana, as the "Jackie Walorski VA Clinic". | Jim BanksRepresentative · Republican · Indiana · district 3 | 6 D · 116 R | 56 |
| 117-140 | Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act | Grace MengRepresentative · Democrat · New York · district 6 | 117 D · 3 R | 384 |
| 117-214 | Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021 | Michael T. McCaulRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 10 | 66 D · 36 R | 450 |
| 117-108 | Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 | Carolyn B. MaloneyRepresentative · Democrat · New York · district 12 | 58 D · 44 R | 330 |
| 117-6 | PPP Extension Act of 2021 | Carolyn BourdeauxRepresentative · Democrat · Georgia · district 7 | 71 D · 30 R | 19 |
| 117-4 | Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act | Mark TakanoRepresentative · Democrat · California · district 41 | 30 D · 24 R | 28 |
| 117-98 | To designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Diego, California, as the Jennifer Moreno D… | Mike LevinRepresentative · Democrat · California · district 49 | 41 D · 11 R | 286 |
| 117-238 | To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic located in Palm Desert, California, as… | Raul RuizRepresentative · Democrat · California · district 36 | 41 D · 11 R | 203 |
| 117-272 | 21st Century President Act | Mark PocanRepresentative · Democrat · Wisconsin · district 2 | 51 D · 1 R | 589 |
| 117-199 | To designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Ventura, California, as the "Captain Rosemar… | Julia BrownleyRepresentative · Democrat · California · district 26 | 41 D · 11 R | 154 |
| 117-172 | Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022 | David J. TroneRepresentative · Democrat · Maryland · district 6 | 30 D · 18 R | 162 |
| 117-13 | COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act | Mazie K. HironoSenator · Democrat · Hawaii | 42 D · 0 R | 58 |
| 117-313 | Faster Payments to Veterans' Survivors Act of 2022 | Chris PappasRepresentative · Democrat · New Hampshire · district 1 | 30 D · 13 R | 179 |
| 117-271 | VA Peer Support Enhancement for MST Survivors Act | Antonio DelgadoRepresentative · Democrat · New York · district 19 | 35 D · 4 R | 615 |
| 117-27 | VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 | Jerrold NadlerRepresentative · Democrat · New York · district 10 | 23 D · 15 R | 136 |
| 117-350 | Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act | Jack ReedSenator · Democrat · Rhode Island | 20 D · 17 R | 252 |
What Congress spends its time on
Subject areas by number of bills filed in the 117th Congress, and how many of those became law.
| Subject | Bills filed | Became law | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 1,960 | 19 | 1.0% |
| Armed Forces and National Security | 1,243 | 69 | 5.6% |
| Government Operations and Politics | 1,155 | 94 | 8.1% |
| Taxation | 1,069 | 0 | 0.0% |
| International Affairs | 940 | 14 | 1.5% |
| Crime and Law Enforcement | 917 | 31 | 3.4% |
| Transportation and Public Works | 697 | 11 | 1.6% |
| Education | 674 | 4 | 0.6% |
| Public Lands and Natural Resources | 605 | 13 | 2.1% |
| Commerce | 590 | 13 | 2.2% |
| Finance and Financial Sector | 587 | 5 | 0.9% |
| Immigration | 530 | 3 | 0.6% |
| Labor and Employment | 502 | 3 | 0.6% |
| Energy | 496 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Science, Technology, Communications | 449 | 6 | 1.3% |
Where committee referrals go
The 117th Congress's busiest committees, and how many of their referred bills became law.
| Committee | Referrals | Enacted |
|---|---|---|
| Energy and Commerce Committee (House) | 2,233 | 22 |
| Ways and Means Committee (House) | 1,694 | 12 |
| Judiciary Committee (House) | 1,689 | 24 |
| Education and the Workforce Committee (House) | 1,180 | 2 |
| Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (Senate) | 924 | 20 |
| Financial Services Committee (House) | 869 | 8 |
| Finance Committee (Senate) | 859 | 1 |
| Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (House) | 833 | 16 |
| Natural Resources Committee (House) | 830 | 21 |
| Oversight and Accountability Committee (House) | 825 | 67 |
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: 551 members. Data generated 2026-08-21 21:14:06.