Articles

What the record of the current Congress shows: attendance, the bills that became law, how the chambers and parties compare, and how to read a report card.

• The 119th Congress by the numbers October 21, 2026

  539 members, 1,589 roll-call votes, more than 16,000 bills and 126 new laws: an overview of what the public record of the current Congress shows.

• House members who miss the most votes October 21, 2026

  Most representatives vote on 98% of roll calls or more. A small group has missed one vote in seven or worse. Here is who they are and how missed votes affect a grade.

• Senators who miss the most votes October 21, 2026

  The Senate has held 915 roll-call votes this Congress. Three senators have missed more than one in eight, and only three have missed none.

• Every bill that became law, by subject October 21, 2026

  126 bills and joint resolutions sponsored by current members have become law in the 119th Congress. Here is what they cover, from spending and regulation to land transfers and medals.

• How the Congressional Review Act works, and why it produced 23 new laws October 21, 2026

  Nearly one in five laws sponsored by current members this Congress cancelled a federal regulation. Here is how the Congressional Review Act works and what it was used for.

• From introduction to law: how few bills make it October 21, 2026

  Of more than 16,000 bills written by current members this Congress, fewer than 1 in 100 became law. A look at where bills stop, and why the report card gives points for each step.

• What cosponsoring a bill means, and who does it most October 21, 2026

  A typical House member cosponsors about 250 bills a Congress; some cosponsor more than 1,000 and a few fewer than 10. What cosponsorship signals and how it counts toward a grade.

• House and Senate: how the two chambers compare October 21, 2026

  Senators vote more often and write twice as many bills as House members. Why the two chambers look so different on paper, and how the grades keep them comparable.

• Democrats and Republicans compared: what the record shows October 21, 2026

  The two parties' grades are almost identical on average, but they get there differently. Majority Republicans pass more bills; minority Democrats cosponsor more.

• How each state's delegation scored October 21, 2026

  Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah have the highest-scoring congressional delegations; Kentucky, South Carolina and West Virginia the lowest. What separates the top states from the bottom.

• What A students have in common October 21, 2026

  39 members of Congress have an A or A−. Every one of them has voted on at least 97% of roll calls. A look at what separates the top grades from the bottom.

• Delegates and the territories: why their grades look different October 21, 2026

  Six members of the House represent DC and the U.S. territories. They can't vote on final passage of bills, which makes their attendance scores swing wildly. Here is how to read their report cards.

• New arrivals: grading members who joined partway through October 21, 2026

  Eight members of Congress took office in 2026, after their predecessors left. How seats get filled mid-term, and why their report cards carry a partial-term label.

• How to read a congressional report card October 21, 2026

  A step-by-step guide to a member's report card: the overall grade, the three scores behind it, the bill stages, the comparisons and the labels, using a real member as the example.

• Why party leaders score low on bills October 21, 2026

  The Speaker has cosponsored 3 bills this Congress; the House Majority Leader has sponsored one. Why congressional leaders' report cards look thin, and what that does and doesn't mean.