Article I says bills must pass committees—why do most of the 9,643 bills introduced in the current Congress die in committee without ever reaching a floor vote?

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Committee chairs wield gatekeeping power: they decide which bills get hearings and votes. Leadership uses this to bury bills that split the caucus or lack donor support. In the 118th Congress (2023–2025), only 3% of bills became law. For example, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed the House in 2021 but Senate Republicans blocked it; the For the People Act (voting rights) died when Senators Manchin and Sinema refused to kill the filibuster. Money, leadership control, and the filibuster ensure most legislation never reaches a vote.

Article I says bills must pass committees—why do most of the 9,643 bills introduced in the current Congress die in committee without ever reaching a floor vote?

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