118th Congress and Looking Ahead to Unified Government
The 118th Congress had a historically lackluster performance, delivering just 158 pieces of legislation to be signed by the president; less than half of the previous Congress’s total. With unified government secured, it tends to equal results. The most productive Congresses under Presidents George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden came when they had both chambers on their side. Any conflict squabbling will only delay the work of legislating. They know the clock is ticking, because unified government rarely lasts. Single-party control is somewhat common at the outset of a new administration. But since 1970, only once has it lasted beyond the first midterm (that was during Jimmy Carter’s presidency). Given their tiny majority, House Republican leaders know they likely have only a two-year window. So any time they spend with their eye off the legislative ball is a gift to Democrats. Candidly, the counterpoint to all this is that the current Republican majority is not a group in which cooler heads always prevail.