Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday defended the legislative record of the House, saying it’s passed nearly 150 bills aimed at boosting job creation, all of which have been blocked by Senate Democrats.
On the House floor, Boehner said House Republicans had passed several bills to ease federal regulations, allow for more energy independence and scale back or eliminate ObamaCare. He also noted bills aimed at reforming job training programs, boosting protection from cyberattacks and helping schools recruit and keep good teachers.
{mosads}”Every single one of these bills has been blocked by Washington Democrats,” Boehner said. “The Senate and the president continue to stand in the way of the people’s priorities.”
Boehner added that the GOP is now trying to work out differences with Democrats on the budget and the farm bill, but indicated little progress so far.
“Chairman [Paul] Ryan and Chairman [Frank] Lucas have made serious, good-faith efforts to Senate Democrats,” he said of the heads of the House Budget and Agriculture committees. “When will they learn to say ‘yes’ to common ground? When will they start listening to the American people?”
Boehner’s remarks were made in the context of growing criticism about the 113th Congress, which many Democrats are saying has been the least productive in history.
A recent analysis by U.S. News and World Report noted that the “do-nothing” Congress in 1947 and 1948 passed 900 bills, while the current Congress has only turned 52 bills into law so far.
Some conservatives have argued that the number of bills passed is not the way to measure productivity, and that the GOP House has served an important function by stopping Democratic policies.
Earlier this year, Boehner went further by saying Congress should not be judged by now many laws it creates but by how many it repeals.
Democrats have focused much of their ire on Boehner for not taking action on immigration reform after the Senate approved a bill.