All Flash, Some Substance

The House of Representatives voted 749 times in 2023 but passed just 27 bills that became law. However, they made a lot of news this year: There was the contentious election of Kevin McCarthy to be Speaker of the House, followed by his subsequent ousting 269 days later and the three-week struggle to select a new speaker - Mike Johnson. There was also the expulsion of George Santos and an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. But none of those news-making events were actually about making laws.

The 118th Congress is perhaps the most unproductive Congress in decades - a reflection of the fast-paced, flashy, and shallow nature of our political landscape, riddled with partisan bickering and gridlock.