Congress appears headed for a record low in bill passage during the current two-year session, the fewest since Barack Obama’s presidency.
So far, the 119th Congress has enacted 97 bills, a stark contrast to the 118th Congress, which managed to pass 274. To put it in perspective, the least productive period was during Obama’s administration with just 284 bills passed in the 112th Congress. There’s also a pressing deadline looming, as passing more bills before the midterm elections in November could be quite challenging.
This low number is especially noteworthy when one party controls both legislative and executive branches. For example, in Joe Biden’s first two years, Democrats successfully passed 365 bills. Likewise, under Obama, 385 bills were enacted. It’s curious, really—one might expect more productivity under unified control.
Republicans have faced difficulties getting significant legislation through, such as the Protecting American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) and the Third Reconciliation Act. Just recently, the Senate passed a settlement providing substantial funds to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), totaling over $30 billion through 2029.
A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson shared that despite a slim margin in the House and difficulties with government shutdowns largely due to Democratic actions, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans remain focused on tax cuts and other goals, citing several legislative achievements aimed at those objectives.
Interestingly, responses from key figures like Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer were not immediately available.
As for the SAVE Act, which would enforce citizenship proof for voters, it has hit a snag in the Senate, lacking the 60 votes required for passage, even though it was approved by the House. President Trump has expressed support for abolishing the filibuster to push this forward, but opinions within the Republican Party seem mixed, making consensus elusive. Notably, several prominent Republican Senators are against the SAVE Act.
Congress also has plans that include pending measures to address affordability and anti-fraud protocols, though a promised $1.5 trillion in spending cuts hasn’t yet been realized. There’s chatter about using reconciliation to expedite these cuts; however, there’s opposition to a broad bill that would encompass many issues in one package.
Among other legislative efforts, Congress has moved forward with a Housing Affordability Act, aimed at tackling the housing crisis by streamlining financing for construction and easing regulations, among other things. Yet, both chambers need to align their versions of the bill before it can reach the President.
Additionally, a new five-year surface transportation package known as the Build America 250 Act is on the table, aiming to fund significant infrastructure projects before the current act expires in September.
Interestingly, it seems Congress has shifted towards larger, more complex bills in recent years, which some argue contributes to the dwindling number of overall bills. In July 2025, a broad Working Families Tax Cuts Act included multiple conservative topics that could have been individually introduced. The House is currently narrowly divided with 217 Republicans and 212 Democrats, which naturally complicates the legislative process further.
