For months now we have heard Donald Trump repeatedly call Democrats the “Do Nothing Democrats,” but the truth is Democrats have been passing bills at a pretty fast clip, bills that have been ignored by Republicans.
As of November 15, Democrats have passed almost 400 bills. The House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee has estimated that 80 percent of those bills have hit a snag in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made the decision that confirming judges takes priority over everything else including passing legislation.
So far this year Congress has passed only 70 laws. In recent past sessions of Congress has passed up to 500 bills in a two- year time period.
Reportedly, ten of the 70 bills passed have been related to renaming federal post offices and Veterans Affairs facilities.
Many House Democrats have spoken up against McConnell’s so-called “legislative graveyard.” McConnell has even started to refer to himself as the “Grim Reaper” of Democratic legislation.
“From raising the minimum wage to ensuring equal pay, we have passed legislation to raise wages. And we have passed legislation to protect and expand health coverage and bring down prescription drug prices,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a recent statement. “We continue to urge Senator McConnell to take up our bills, many of which are bipartisan.”
Instead of working to pass more legislation McConnell is completely focused on transforming the federal judiciary instead. So far 150 of Trump’s nominees have been confirmed. McConnell has gone as far as to refuse to bring Democratic bills to the Senate floor.
Not all Republicans agree with McConnell’s tactics. Some Senate Republicans fear that inaction on passing legislation could make them vulnerable.
“I’m very eager to turn from nominations to legislation,” Sen. Susan Collins recently stated in an interview with the New York Times. “There are important issues that are pending, and I think we could produce some terrific bills that would be signed into law.”
Here is a look at major bills that Democrats have passed since January:
Health care
House Resolution 259 — Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019
H.R. 271 — Condemning the Trump Administration’s Legal Campaign to Take Away Americans’ Health Care
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. 1520, the Purple Book Continuity Act (bill aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs)
H.R. 1503, the Orange Book Transparency Act of 2019 (bill aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs)
Civil rights
H.R. 1 — For the People Act of 2019
H.R. 5 — Equality Act
H.R. 6 — American Dream and Promise Act
H.R. 7 — Paycheck Fairness Act
H.R. 124 — Expressing opposition to banning service in the Armed Forces by openly transgender individuals
Gun control
H.R. 8 — Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019
H.R. 1112 — Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019
Environment
H.R. 9 — Climate Action Now Act
H.R. 1331 — Local Water Protection Act
S. 47 — National Resources Management Act
H.R. 2578 — National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2019
H.R. 205, 1146, 1941 — Banning Offshore Drilling on Atlantic, Pacific, Eastern Gulf and ANWR Coasts
Military/foreign affairs
H.R. 840 — Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act
H.J. Res. 37 — Directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress
S.J. Res. 7 — To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress
H.R. 31 — Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019
H.J. Res. 30 — Disapproving the President’s proposal to take an action relating to the application of certain sanctions with respect to the Russian Federation
H.R. 4695 — Protect Against Conflict by Turkey Act
H.R. 676 — NATO Support Act
H.R. 549 — Venezuela TPS Act
Mueller report
H. Con. Res. 24 — Expressing the sense of Congress that the report of Special Counsel Mueller should be made available to the public and to Congress
Other major legislation
H.R. 1585 — Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019
H.R. 987 — Raise the Wage Act
H.R. 1500 — Consumers First Act
H.R. 1994 — SECURE Act/Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act
H.R. 2722 — Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act
H.R. 4617 — Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act
H.R. 1644 — Save the Internet Act of 2019
H.R. 2157 — Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019
H.R. 397 — Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act (The Butch Lewis Act)
H.R. 2513 — The Corporate Transparency Act
H.R. 269 — Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019
H.R. 251 — Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program Extension Act
S.24 — Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019
H.R. 430 — TANF Extension Act of 2019
Concurring in the Senate Amendments to HR 251 — Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard Program Extension Act
H.R. 790 — Federal Civilian Workforce Pay Raise Fairness Act of 2019
HJ Res. 46 — Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019
H Res. 183 — Condemning anti-Semitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the people of the United States and condemning anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contrary to the values and aspirations of the United States, as amended
H Res. 194 — Rule Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1644 and H.R. 2021
H.R. 2480 — Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
H.R. 375 — To amend the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes (also known as the “Carcieri Fix”)
