GovernmentLegislative Process
December 27, 2025Congress passes fewest laws in modern history in 2025
Record shutdown and lowest law count show Congress ceding power to the White House
passed fewer than 40 laws in 2025. This is the lowest legislative output in the first year of any modern presidency. C-SPAN and Purdue University maintain the historical data showing this record.
The 43-day government shutdown from Oct. 1 to Nov. 13, 2025, was the longest in U.S. history. It surpassed the previous record of 35 days set in 2018-2019. During the shutdown, 800,000 federal workers went without pay.
Four discharge petitions successfully bypassed House leadership in 2025. Discharge petitions require 218 signatures to force a floor vote without leadership approval. This was the most successful discharge petitions in a single year.
The Senate took 659 roll call votes in 2025—more than any previous year. Most were on judicial and executive branch nominations. The Senate confirmed 417 Trump nominees during the year.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), who is retiring after 20 years, said Congress has become toxic with vitriolic debate and demonizing the other side. He's among a record number of members leaving Congress.
The government shutdown cost the economy an estimated $3 billion according to the Congressional Budget Office. The shutdown forced agencies to furlough workers and delay services. Some costs will never be recovered.
Speaker Mike Johnson faced multiple challenges to his leadership during the year. The narrow Republican majority made passing legislation difficult. Johnson needed Democratic votes to end the shutdown.
Timeline
Jeffrey Epstein accountability timeline
Dec 27, 2025
Main
Congress passes fewest laws in modern history in 2025
The 119th Congress enacted 38 public laws in 2025—the fewest in the first year of any presidency in modern history, according to data from C-SPAN and Purdue University. The Republican-controlled House and Senate struggled to pass legislation despite unified control of government under President Trump's second term. The year saw a record 43-day government shutdown from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2025—the longest in U.S. history. Discharge petitions bypassed House leadership to force floor votes, including one compelling release of Jeffrey Epstein files that passed the House 427-1 on Nov. 18, 2025, and another filed by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies with four Republican signatories. The Senate took approximately 460+ roll call votes in 2025—most were on nominations, not legislation.
30 questions
Start the review