There's a new official talking point for Republicans, and it goes something like this: Speaker Nancy Pelosi's House is doing nothing because Democrats are so obsessed with investigations and impeachment. (Let's see, that bogus Benghazi investigation lasted—checks notes—28 months and cost almost $8 million. Okay, then.)
It started at the top on Wednesday:
He picked it up again on Thursday with "The Dems can't get over 2016 or the conclusive Mueller findings. They are now the Do Nothing Party!"
And from House Minority Leader Kevin "Putin pays Trump" McCarthy, to White House press secretary Sarah "Hasn't done her job in over two months" Sanders, Republicans have picked it up. "They have achieved practically NOTHING since taking over the House, and their obsession with impeaching this president is paralyzing any progress we could be making as the UNITED States," McCarthy tweeted huffily.
Oh, really? Let's just see: A quick search shows that 248 bills have passed in the House since January 3. Out of that 248, 116 have gotten roll call votes, meaning they're not just renaming post offices and shit. Twenty of those have gone to the White House, and 17 have become public law. This means that just 20 of them made it to the Senate floor.
Among the highlights: the Equality Act that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation; a package of bills to protect people's access to health care and to make prescription drugs more affordable; two disaster relief bills; a bill restoring net neutrality; the Climate Action Now Act; a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act; background checks for all gun sales; an equal pay bill to help close the gender pay gap; and the For the People Act, an historic anti-corruption reform bill with provisions to make our elections fair and safe.
Not too shabby for less than five months' work. Just for fun, below are all the significant bills—actual legislation, not resolutions and not busy work—that have passed the House since January 3 that the Senate has not taken up. As you can see from that list, Republicans are full of shit. But you didn’t really need this evidence to know that.
- H.R. 1 — For The People Act
- H.R. 21 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (ending the government shutdown)
- H.R. 66 — Route 66 Centennial Commission Act
- H.R. 91 — Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act
- H.R. 116 — Investing in Main Street Act of 2019
- H.R. 135 — Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2019
- H.R. 150 — Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency Act of 2019
- H.R. 190 — Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses Act of 2019
- H.R. 221 — Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act
- H.R. 226 — Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act of 2019
- H.R. 8 — Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019
- H.R. 264 — Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019 (ending the government shutdown)
- H.R. 265 — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (ending the government shutdown)
- H.R. 266 — Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (ending the government shutdown)
- H.R. 267 — Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (ending the government shutdown)
- H.R. 268 — Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 (ending the government shutdown)
- H.R. 269 — Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019
- H.R. 297 — Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians Restoration Act of 2019
- H.R. 299 — Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019
- H.R. 312 — Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act
- H.R. 328 — Hack Your State Department Act
- H.R. 375 — To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.
- H.R. 428 — Homeland Security Assessment of Terrorists' Use of Virtual Currencies Act
- H.R. 449 — Pathways to Improving Homeland Security at the Local Level Act
- H.R. 450 — Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2019
- H.R. 502 — FIND Trafficking Act
- H.R. 507 — Put Trafficking Victims First Act of 2019
- H.R. 539 — Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2019
- H.R. 596 — Crimea Annexation Non-recognition Act
- H.R. 624 — Promoting Transparent Standards for Corporate Insiders Act
- H.R. 648 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (ending the government shutdown)
- H.R. 676 — NATO Support Act
- H.R. 758 — Cooperate with Law Enforcement Agencies and Watch Act of 2019
- H.R. 769 — Counterterrorism Advisory Board Act of 2019
- H.R. 790 — Federal Civilian Workforce Pay Raise Fairness Act of 2019
- H.R. 831 — Reviving America's Scenic Byways Act of 2019
- H.R. 840 — Veterans' Access to Child Care Act
- H.R. 7 — Paycheck Fairness Act
- H.R. 986 — Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019
- H.R. 987 — Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act
- H.R. 995 — Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 2019
- H.R. 1065 — Social Media Use in Clearance Investigations Act of 2019
- H.R. 1079 — Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act of 2019
- H.R. 1112 — Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019
- H.R. 1122 — Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2019
- H.R. 1331 — Local Water Protection Act
- H.R. 1381 — Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act
- H.R. 1388 — yLytton Rancheria Homelands Act of 2019
- H.R. 1500 — Consumers First Act
- H.R. 1503 — Orange Book Transparency Act of 2019
- H.R. 1520 — Purple Book Continuity Act of 2019
- H.R. 1585 — Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019
- H.R. 1590 — Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2019
- H.R. 1593 — CLASS Act of 2019
- H.R. 1616 — To prioritize the efforts of and enhance coordination among United States agencies to encourage countries in Europe and Eurasia to diversify their energy sources and supply routes, increase energy security in the region, and help the United States reach its global energy security goals, and for other purposes.
- H.R. 1644 — Save the Internet Act of 2019
- H.R. 1654 — Federal Register Modernization Act
- H.R. 5 — Equality Act
- H.R. 1704 — Championing American Business Through Diplomacy Act of 2019
- H.R. 1759 — BRIDGE for Workers Act
- H.R. 1876 — Senior Security Act of 2019
- H.R. 1892 — Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Technical Corrections Act of 2019
- H.R. 9 — Climate Action Now Act
- H.R. 1952 — Intercountry Adoption Information Act of 2019
- H.R. 2157 — Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019