Overview
- The 119th Congress sent just 38 bills to President Trump this year, a modern low for a first-year session, with the House casting only 362 roll-call votes.
- Senate floor time centered on personnel, with nearly 60 percent of votes devoted to confirming nominees rather than advancing major policy legislation.
- Several enacted measures were narrow or procedural, including regulation rollbacks, must-pass funding and defense bills, and a discharge-driven Epstein files measure, alongside items like the Laken Riley and Take It Down acts.
- Republicans openly assessed the year as unproductive, with Rep. David Joyce saying the party passed Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” but accomplished little else.
- GOP lawmakers pointed to Trump’s aggressive executive actions, which a former House parliamentarian said exceed 70 percent of Obama and Biden’s combined 12-year total, while unresolved issues such as expiring ACA subsidies threaten higher premiums heading into 2026.