AP: "This Congress did less than the do-nothing one"
We wanted to make sure you saw this brutal summary of the Republican-led 113th Congress, which has earned its “do-nothing” title after being the least productive, most closed Congress in modern history. From the AP:
“The tempestuous 113th Congress has limped out of Washington for the last time, capping two years of modest and infrequent legislating that was overshadowed by partisan clashes, gridlock and investigations.”
“How's this for a legacy? More than 200 bills became law during the past two years, according to congressional data. That was the fewest since at least 1947 and 1948, when what President Harry Truman dubbed ‘the do-nothing Congress’ enacted over 900 laws.”
“This Congress did less than the do-nothing one.”
“The partisan impasse was complicated by conservative tea party lawmakers whom GOP leaders often found unmanageable. That helped spark a 16-day partial government shutdown that was hated by voters and became one of this Congress' hallmarks.”
“Through two years, the bar for accomplishments dipped so low that routine functions like averting a federal default and keeping government agencies open seemed like crowning achievements.”
“The House voted more than 50 times to kill or weaken Obama's 2010 health care law, perhaps his proudest achievement. It voted to block the administration from curbing carbon emissions from coal-fired plants and protecting streams and wetlands from pollution…”
Ouch. Quite a legacy for Republicans to leave behind. Any bets on whether they’ll put an end to the gridlock and start working to get things done for the American people in the 114th Congress? Yeah, we’re not holding our breath either.