A new report that tracks the number of bills passed by the legislative branch suggests Congress’ productivity jumped in 2015.
The first session of the 115th Congress passed 113 measures, compared to 72 in 2013 and 81 in 2011, according to the Pew Research Center.
More laws were passed in this first year of a congressional term than in any of the past four terms. Pew states that this may be due to the GOP-controlled lower and upper chambers.
The 115th Congress’ productivity, however, fell significantly short of the most recent record in 2003, when Congress enacted 198 laws.
While the House and Senate may have passed a greater number of bills this year, public sentiment toward lawmakers may not reflect that progress.
Twenty-seven percent of Americans viewed Congress favorably, according to a September survey by Pew.
