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 119th 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.
101 substantive and 3 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 | 15,924 | 100.0% | 12,318 |
| Survived its committee | 3,606 | 22.7% | 2,714 |
| Passed one chamber | 892 | 5.6% | 786 |
| Passed both chambers | 106 | 0.7% | 2 |
| Signed into law | 104 | 0.7% | 104 |
What they actually passed
Laws from the 119th Congress, ordered by how much support they attracted.
| Law | What it does | Written by | Co-sponsors | Days to pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 119-36 | Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act | John W. RoseRepresentative · Republican · Tennessee · district 6 | 33 D · 56 R | 148 |
| 119-1 | Laken Riley Act | Katie Boyd BrittSenator · Republican · Alabama | 2 D · 51 R | 23 |
| 119-16 | Providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environ… | John JoyceRepresentative · Republican · Pennsylvania · district 13 | 0 D · 41 R | 71 |
| 119-94 | Medal of Sacrifice Act | Brian J. MastRepresentative · Republican · Florida · district 21 | 9 D · 27 R | 374 |
| 119-17 | Providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environ… | Jay ObernolteRepresentative · Republican · California · district 23 | 0 D · 32 R | 71 |
| 119-101 | 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act | J. French HillRepresentative · Republican · Arkansas · district 2 | 16 D · 15 R | 212 |
| 119-26 | HALT Fentanyl Act | Bill CassidySenator · Republican · Louisiana | 6 D · 24 R | 167 |
| 119-6 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Dep… | Gary J. PalmerRepresentative · Republican · Alabama · district 6 | 0 D · 29 R | 114 |
| 119-58 | Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 | Mike CrapoSenator · Republican · Idaho | 16 D · 11 R | 318 |
| 119-38 | Epstein Files Transparency Act | Ro KhannaRepresentative · Democrat · California · district 17 | 23 D · 1 R | 127 |
| 119-15 | Providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environ… | John JamesRepresentative · Republican · Michigan · district 10 | 0 D · 24 R | 71 |
| 119-42 | Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 | Jerry MoranSenator · Republican · Kansas | 14 D · 6 R | 125 |
| 119-82 | Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 | John CornynSenator · Republican · Texas | 11 D · 10 R | 326 |
| 119-12 | TAKE IT DOWN Act | Ted CruzSenator · Republican · Texas | 11 D · 10 R | 123 |
| 119-14 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Env… | H. Morgan GriffithRepresentative · Republican · Virginia · district 9 | 0 D · 20 R | 87 |
| 119-73 | Trafficking Survivors Relief Act | Russell FryRepresentative · Republican · South Carolina · district 7 | 8 D · 11 R | 197 |
| 119-2 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Env… | August PflugerRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 11 | 0 D · 19 R | 38 |
| 119-69 | Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 | Roger MarshallSenator · Republican · Kansas | 5 D · 10 R | 356 |
| 119-10 | A joint resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Overdraft… | Tim ScottSenator · Republican · South Carolina | 0 D · 16 R | 85 |
| 119-33 | PRO Veterans Act of 2025 | Dan SullivanSenator · Republican · Alaska | 0 D · 13 R | 190 |
| 119-9 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Off… | Craig GoldmanRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 12 | 0 D · 13 R | 60 |
| 119-70 | Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act | Monica De La CruzRepresentative · Republican · Texas · district 15 | 1 D · 10 R | 378 |
| 119-7 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Dep… | Stephanie I. BiceRepresentative · Republican · Oklahoma · district 5 | 0 D · 10 R | 113 |
| 119-100 | Lulu’s Law | Katie Boyd BrittSenator · Republican · Alabama | 4 D · 5 R | 471 |
| 119-5 | Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Int… | Mike CareyRepresentative · Republican · Ohio · district 15 | 1 D · 8 R | 79 |
What Congress spends its time on
Subject areas by number of bills filed in the 119th Congress, and how many of those became law.
| Subject | Bills filed | Became law | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 1,800 | 1 | 0.1% |
| Armed Forces and National Security | 1,326 | 20 | 1.5% |
| Taxation | 1,230 | 4 | 0.3% |
| Government Operations and Politics | 1,185 | 4 | 0.3% |
| Crime and Law Enforcement | 969 | 4 | 0.4% |
| International Affairs | 912 | 1 | 0.1% |
| Finance and Financial Sector | 717 | 6 | 0.8% |
| Agriculture and Food | 701 | 2 | 0.3% |
| Transportation and Public Works | 687 | 1 | 0.1% |
| Immigration | 665 | 2 | 0.3% |
| Public Lands and Natural Resources | 638 | 18 | 2.8% |
| Education | 566 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Science, Technology, Communications | 504 | 3 | 0.6% |
| Commerce | 494 | 2 | 0.4% |
| Environmental Protection | 478 | 6 | 1.3% |
Where committee referrals go
The 119th Congress's busiest committees, and how many of their referred bills became law.
| Committee | Referrals | Enacted |
|---|---|---|
| Energy and Commerce Committee (House) | 2,060 | 10 |
| Judiciary Committee (House) | 1,849 | 5 |
| Ways and Means Committee (House) | 1,791 | 5 |
| Education and Workforce Committee (House) | 1,048 | 1 |
| Finance Committee (Senate) | 912 | 3 |
| Financial Services Committee (House) | 905 | 5 |
| Oversight and Government Reform Committee (House) | 882 | 2 |
| Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (House) | 865 | 0 |
| Natural Resources Committee (House) | 827 | 19 |
| Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (Senate) | 741 | 1 |
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.