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 118th 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.
193 substantive and 81 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 | 16,044 | 100.0% | 10,361 |
| Survived its committee | 5,683 | 35.4% | 4,695 |
| Passed one chamber | 988 | 6.2% | 701 |
| Passed both chambers | 287 | 1.8% | 13 |
| Signed into law | 274 | 1.7% | 274 |
What they actually passed
Laws from the 118th Congress, ordered by how much support they attracted.
| Law | What it does | Written by | Co-sponsors | Days to pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118-273 | Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 | Garret GravesRepresentative · Republican · Louisiana · district 6 | 210 D · 120 R | 727 |
| 118-66 | Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act | Gus M. BilirakisRepresentative · Republican · Florida · district 12 | 115 D · 57 R | 461 |
| 118-144 | Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian… | Debbie Wasserman SchultzRepresentative · Democrat · Florida · district 25 | 52 D · 42 R | 266 |
| 118-72 | Debbie Smith Act of 2023 | Ann WagnerRepresentative · Republican · Missouri · district 2 | 35 D · 50 R | 529 |
| 118-142 | BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Reauthorization Act of 2024 | Brett GuthrieRepresentative · Republican · Kentucky · district 2 | 46 D · 33 R | 310 |
| 118-17 | Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act | Mark E. GreenRepresentative · Republican · Tennessee · district 7 | 3 D · 68 R | 66 |
| 118-3 | Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020. | Paul A. GosarRepresentative · Republican · Arizona · district 9 | 0 D · 68 R | 91 |
| 118-69 | Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024 | Ashley HinsonRepresentative · Republican · Iowa · district 2 | 44 D · 18 R | 366 |
| 118-180 | Autism CARES Act of 2024 | Christopher H. SmithRepresentative · Republican · New Jersey · district 4 | 39 D · 22 R | 326 |
| 118-173 | Stop Campus Hazing Act | Lucy McBathRepresentative · Democrat · Georgia · district 7 | 38 D · 20 R | 459 |
| 118-234 | EXPLORE Act | Bruce WestermanRepresentative · Republican · Arkansas · district 4 | 27 D · 24 R | 402 |
| 118-247 | Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site Act | Michael WaltzRepresentative · Republican · Florida · district 6 | 17 D · 33 R | 264 |
| 118-229 | FISHES Act | Byron DonaldsRepresentative · Republican · Florida · district 19 | 18 D · 31 R | 522 |
| 118-238 | VETS Safe Travel Act | Paul A. GosarRepresentative · Republican · Arizona · district 9 | 17 D · 30 R | 324 |
| 118-1 | Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022. | Andrew S. ClydeRepresentative · Republican · Georgia · district 9 | 0 D · 46 R | 46 |
| 118-92 | NAPA Reauthorization Act | Susan M. CollinsSenator · Republican · Maine | 21 D · 23 R | 610 |
| 118-13 | United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade First Agreement Implementation Act | Jason SmithRepresentative · Republican · Missouri · district 8 | 21 D · 22 R | 56 |
| 118-93 | Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act | Susan M. CollinsSenator · Republican · Maine | 18 D · 23 R | 610 |
| 118-155 | Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 | Martin HeinrichSenator · Democrat · New Mexico | 18 D · 21 R | 461 |
| 118-71 | Federal Prison Oversight Act | Lucy McBathRepresentative · Democrat · Georgia · district 7 | 24 D · 15 R | 454 |
| 118-226 | Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act | Joe NeguseRepresentative · Democrat · Colorado · district 2 | 28 D · 9 R | 675 |
| 118-228 | Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 | Jennifer WextonRepresentative · Democrat · Virginia · district 10 | 22 D · 15 R | 599 |
| 118-148 | Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023 | W. Gregory SteubeRepresentative · Republican · Florida · district 17 | 16 D · 19 R | 437 |
| 118-89 | Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act | Brendan F. BoyleRepresentative · Democrat · Pennsylvania · district 2 | 15 D · 19 R | 256 |
| 118-210 | Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act | Jerry MoranSenator · Republican · Kansas | 23 D · 8 R | 703 |
What Congress spends its time on
Subject areas by number of bills filed in the 118th Congress, and how many of those became law.
| Subject | Bills filed | Became law | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 1,964 | 15 | 0.8% |
| Armed Forces and National Security | 1,331 | 34 | 2.6% |
| Government Operations and Politics | 1,210 | 98 | 8.1% |
| Taxation | 1,051 | 4 | 0.4% |
| International Affairs | 1,003 | 3 | 0.3% |
| Crime and Law Enforcement | 987 | 8 | 0.8% |
| Agriculture and Food | 762 | 1 | 0.1% |
| Finance and Financial Sector | 716 | 4 | 0.6% |
| Education | 699 | 3 | 0.4% |
| Public Lands and Natural Resources | 620 | 19 | 3.1% |
| Transportation and Public Works | 610 | 13 | 2.1% |
| Immigration | 573 | 3 | 0.5% |
| Commerce | 505 | 2 | 0.4% |
| Energy | 500 | 3 | 0.6% |
| Science, Technology, Communications | 473 | 4 | 0.8% |
Where committee referrals go
The 118th Congress's busiest committees, and how many of their referred bills became law.
| Committee | Referrals | Enacted |
|---|---|---|
| Energy and Commerce Committee (House) | 2,131 | 16 |
| Judiciary Committee (House) | 1,723 | 13 |
| Ways and Means Committee (House) | 1,684 | 16 |
| Education and Workforce Committee (House) | 1,143 | 6 |
| Financial Services Committee (House) | 970 | 7 |
| Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (Senate) | 926 | 12 |
| Finance Committee (Senate) | 859 | 6 |
| Oversight and Government Reform Committee (House) | 846 | 69 |
| Natural Resources Committee (House) | 832 | 39 |
| Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (House) | 827 | 12 |
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: 549 members. Data generated 2026-08-21 21:14:06.