THE BIG LIE: If we just pass one more law everything will be fine!

Have you noticed that politicians, especially those in Washington, D.C., believe that if they can just get one more bill or law or resolution passed they can save the world from certain destruction? Daily I get emails from Democrats, Independents and Republicans calling for a new law to fix something that either isn’t broken or to further their bonafides that they are doing something.

Since 1973 until today the U.S. Congresses have passed 311,831 laws and resolutions. That is an average of 13, 577 laws and resolutions each Congress.

How much is too much? Presidents have vetoed 236 laws. In addition to laws there are more than 170,000 pages of federal regulations that implement these laws.

Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater wrote this in his book “The Conscience of a Conservative“:

“I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is “needed” before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents’ “interests,” I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can.”

Perhaps it is time for Congress to stop passing new laws? Perhaps it is time for Congress to repeal unneeded old laws?

GovTrack.us has published the following chart of enacted laws, resolutions and bills passed by the U.S. Congress since 1973:

Bills by Final Status

This table breaks down the bills and resolutions introduced in each two-year Congress by their final status. Note that the current Congress is not yet finished.

Counts & Percents | Counts Only | Percents Only

Here is what we mean in each column:

• Enacted Laws: Enacted bills and joint resolutions (both bills and joint resolutions can be enacted as law)
• Passed Resolutions: Passed resolutions (for joint and concurrent resolutions, this means passed both chambers)
• Got A Vote: Bills and joint/concurrent resolutions that had a significant vote in one chamber
• Failed Legislation: Bills and resolutions that failed a vote on passage or failed a significant vote such as cloture, passage under suspension, or resolving differences
• Vetoed Bills (w/o Override): Bills that were vetoed and the veto was not overridden by Congress
• Other Legislation: Bills and resolutions that were introduced, referred to committee, or reported by committee but had no further action

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