Key PointsÂ
- The 118th Congress passed 274 laws, fewer than any other since the Civil War. Other metrics confirm its poor productivity. It was also among the most omnibus-dependent congresses in American history.
- Especially in the House of Representatives, familiar legislative pathways failed. The Republican majority frequently broke ranks on procedural questions, effectively forcing reliance on suspension of the rules, a procedure that requires the support of two-thirds of members and cuts off deliberation.
- The Congress will be remembered for two dramatic struggles over the speakership, but as yet it is unclear whether these fights meaningfully altered the centralized dynamics of the House.