[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 135 (Friday, September 19, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          DO-NOTHING CONGRESS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 18, 2014

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 
hardworking men and women of Houston and Harris County, who go to work 
every day without complaint and the failure of this Congress to do its 
job and pass pressing legislation that the good people of the 29th 
District of Texas and Americans throughout our country are relying on.
  The 113th Congress, which is scheduled to end in less than 4 months, 
has passed only 142 laws to date. And 34 of those were ceremonial.
  Last Congress had passed 151 laws by the same date.
  The ``Do-Nothing Congress'' of 1947 and 1948 that President Harry 
Truman famously campaigned against passed 906 public laws. That is not 
even including the 458 private laws that were passed or the modern 
conveniences that we have today that should enable us to do more for 
the American people.
  Over the past 20 months, our chamber has failed to bring to the floor 
critical legislation that would extend emergency unemployment 
insurance, cutting off benefits for 4 million Americans, raise the 
minimum wage for the 10 million-plus Americans who work full-time and 
live below the poverty line, or ensure equal pay for equal work for 
working men and women in our country.
  Mr. Speaker, if this Congress ends without this chamber even bringing 
these bills for a floor vote, historians will have no choice but to 
rewrite the textbook and name us the true ``Do-Nothing Congress.''

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