House Dysfunction: 724 Votes, 27 Laws - A Year of Chaos and Inefficiency
The Republican-led House of Representatives in 2023 passed only 27 bills that became law, despite holding a total of 724 votes, making it the least productive year in terms of lawmaking in the past decade. This is in stark contrast to the previous year when Democrats had unified control of Congress and passed 248 bills that were signed into law. The low productivity is attributed to deep party divisions, a slim majority that requires near unanimity, and a right-wing faction focused on reining in government rather than passing new laws. The House saw a flurry of activity with multiple votes on speaker candidates, attempts to expel members, and censuring Democratic lawmakers, but these actions did not result in significant legislative accomplishments.