Chart courtesy Huffington Post
The Huffington Post says the paltry number of bills passed so far is the fewest since 1973. Even the 112th Congress, which was notoriously ineffective, had passed 23 bills at the same point two years ago.
While the 113th Congress has passed a couple of significant pieces of legislation — including the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and disaster relief for Hurricane Sandy victims — the approvals have often been accompanied by intense partisanship not seen in the past, when both VAWA and disaster relief received strong bipartisan support.
Other bills that became law this year, however, have been significantly less weighty — awarding a congressional gold medal and a measure regarding commemorative coins.
