Congress inaction

Businessweek compiled a single chart that beautifully illustrates what Congress has been doing -- which is to say, not much. Only 54 laws have gone to the President for signature this year: 17 of them just renamed post offices or other federal places; 9 approved real estate transaction; 6 renewed existing laws. That leaves 5 major laws and 16 miscellaneous ones.

Now laws sent to the President is not the only worthwhile measure of legislative activity -- and the Republican-controlled House is right to note, as Democrats did when they controlled the House in the 111th Congress, that the Senate hasn't moved much of anything because of its own filibuster-fueled gridlock. But when the House takes 33 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act and none on immigration reform and many other pressing issues, the puny output is indicative of poor performance of their Constitutional tasks.