The end of the August congressional recess starts the sprint to the November elections and the lame duck session. In the closing days of the 113th Congress, what legislative concepts have significant support, but have not yet passed?
As of 5 August 2014 (the last day cosponsors were added before the August Recess) there were 6,336 bills introduced in the House and 123 House bills had been enacted into law (1.94%).* In the Senate 3,396 bills have been introduced with 40 enacted into law (1.18%).
One way to show support for a legislative concept is to add “cosponsors” – other members of Congress who add their name to legislation to show their support for a concept.
Headed into the August congressional recess weighing in at #1 in the House is Rep. Ander Crenshaw’s (R-FL) H.R. 647 – the ABLE Act – A bill to establish tax-exempt accounts for individuals with a disability for “qualified disability expenses.” H.R. 647 enjoys a whopping 379 cosponsors, making it one cosponsor more popular than a nuclear free Iran in H.R. 850.
House bills with the most cosponsors as of 1 Sept. 2014
| Rank | Cosponsors | Bill | Author | Status | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 379 | HR 647 | Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) | Introduced | ABLE Act of 2013 |
| 2 | 378 | HR 850 | Edward R. Royce (R-CA) | Passed House | Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013 |
| 2 | 378 | HR 3302 | Jeff Miller (R-FL) | Became Law | To name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Bay Pines, Florida, as t... |
| 4 | 355 | HR 938 | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) | Passed House | United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 |
| 5 | 354 | HR 755 | Michael T. McCaul (R-TX) | Introduced | To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the Civil Air Patr... |
| 6 | 326 | HR 324 | Jeff Miller (R-FL) | Became Law | To grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Special Service For... |
| 7 | 321 | HR 4411 | Mark Meadows (R-NC) | Passed House | Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 |
| 8 | 312 | HR 685 | Sam Johnson (R-TX) | Became Law | American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act |
| 9 | 309 | HR 1209 | Pete Olson (R-TX) | Became Law | To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the "Doolittle Tok... |
| 10 | 307 | HR 627 | Erik Paulsen (R-MN) | Passed House | National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act |
| 11 | 304 | HR 2203 | Patrick J. Tiberi (R-OH) | Passed House | To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to Jack Nicklaus, in r... |
| 11 | 304 | HR 1518 | Ed Whitfield (R-KY) | Introduced | PAST Act |
| 13 | 301 | HR 360 | Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) | Became Law | To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair,... |
| 13 | 301 | HR 2932 | Joe Courtney (D-CT) | Introduced | United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act |
| 13 | 301 | HR 1726 | Bill Posey (R-FL) | Became Law | To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borin... |
| 16 | 299 | HR 2939 | Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA) | Became Law | To award the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres. |
| 17 | 298 | HR 3658 | Kay Granger (R-TX) | Became Law | Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 |
| 18 | 297 | HR 2366 | Doug Lamborn (R-CO) | Introduced | World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act |
| 19 | 293 | HR 2866 | Lee Terry (R-NE) | Introduced | Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act |
| 20 | 275 | HR 523 | Erik Paulsen (R-MN) | Introduced | Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2013 |
| 21 | 263 | HR 1852 | Kevin Yoder (R-KS) | Introduced | Email Privacy Act |
| 22 | 256 | HRES 434 | Karen Bass (D-CA) | Passed House | Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Mandela and expressing condo... |
| 23 | 250 | HR 721 | Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) | Introduced | Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2013 |
| 24 | 247 | HR 543 | Christopher P. Gibson (R-NY) | Introduced | Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2013 |
| 25 | 241 | HR 1020 | Aaron Schock (R-IL) | Introduced | Low Value Shipment Regulatory Modernization Act of 2013 |
In the Senate, cosponsorship dynamics are slightly different. Many bills of a ceremonial nature receive the cosponsorship of every Senator. To include more substantive legislation, the list of bills cosponsored by 50 Senators or more may be more useful. Setting aside commemorative bills, the most cosponsored bill in the Senate is Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) S. 2673 – the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 – at 80 cosponsors, followed closely by Sen. Bob Casey’s (D-PA) Senate companion to the ABLE Act, S. 313.
Senate bills with the most cosponsors as of 1 Sept. 2014
| Rank | Cosponsors | Bill | Author | Status | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | SRES 101 | Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) | Passed Senate | A resolution condemning the horrific attacks in Boston, Massachusetts, and expressing... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 112 | Roger F. Wicker (R-MS) | Passed Senate | A resolution commending employees of the Senate Post Office, employees of the Sergean... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 115 | Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) | Passed Senate | A resolution commending the heroism, courage, and sacrifice of Sean Collier, an offic... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 189 | Angus S. King Jr. (I-ME) | Passed Senate | A resolution relative to the death of the Honorable William Dodd Hathaway, former Uni... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 212 | Mitch McConnell (R-KY) | Passed Senate | A resolution commending David J. Schiappa. |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 265 | Thomas R. Carper (D-DE) | Passed Senate | A resolution expressing support for the individuals impacted by the senseless attack ... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 267 | Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) | Passed Senate | A resolution relative to the death of Rod Grams, former United States Senator for the... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 321 | Harry Reid (D-NV) | Passed Senate | A resolution honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Rolihlahla Mand... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 407 | Jeff Sessions (R-AL) | Passed Senate | A resolution honoring former Senator and Rear Admiral Jeremiah Andrew Denton, Jr. |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 444 | Lamar Alexander (R-TN) | Passed Senate | A resolution relative to the death of Harlan Mathews, former United States Senator fo... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 494 | Mitch McConnell (R-KY) | Passed Senate | A resolution relative to the death of Howard H. Baker, Jr., former United States Sena... |
| 1 | 99 | SRES 496 | Richard Durbin (D-IL) | Passed Senate | A resolution relative to the death of the Honorable Alan John Dixon, former United St... |
| 13 | 98 | SRES 161 | Robert Menendez (D-NJ) | Passed Senate | A resolution relative to the death of the Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg, Senator from... |
| 14 | 91 | SRES 65 | Lindsey Graham (R-SC) | Passed Senate | A resolution strongly supporting the full implementation of United States and interna... |
| 15 | 83 | S 309 | Tom Harkin (D-IA) | Became Law | A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the Civil A... |
| 16 | 81 | S 1456 | Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) | Passed Senate | A bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres. |
| 16 | 81 | S 1827 | Joe Manchin III (D-WV) | Passed Senate | American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act |
| 18 | 80 | S 2673 | Barbara Boxer (D-CA) | Introduced | United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 |
| 19 | 79 | S 381 | Sherrod Brown (D-OH) | Passed Senate | A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the "Doolit... |
| 19 | 79 | SRES 498 | Lindsey Graham (R-SC) | Passed Senate | A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding United States support for t... |
| 21 | 77 | S 1862 | Roy Blunt (R-MO) | Introduced | Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 |
| 22 | 74 | S 1158 | Mark R. Warner (D-VA) | Introduced | National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act |
| 22 | 74 | S 313 | Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA) | Introduced | ABLE Act of 2013 |
| 24 | 72 | S 635 | Sherrod Brown (D-OH) | Introduced | Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2013 |
| 24 | 72 | S 789 | Max Baucus (D-MT) | Introduced | A bill to grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Special Serv... |
| 26 | 71 | S 1174 | Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) | Introduced | A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as th... |
| 26 | 71 | S 186 | Richard C. Shelby (R-AL) | Introduced | A bill to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Addie Mae Collins, Denise ... |
| 28 | 63 | S 462 | Barbara Boxer (D-CA) | Introduced | United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 |
| 29 | 61 | S 47 | Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) | Became Law | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 |
| 29 | 61 | SRES 502 | Rob Portman (R-OH) | Passed Senate | A resolution concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of t... |
| 31 | 59 | S 1881 | Robert Menendez (D-NJ) | Introduced | Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013 |
| 32 | 57 | S 1406 | Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) | Introduced | PAST Act |
| 33 | 56 | S 815 | Jeff Merkley (D-OR) | Passed Senate | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 |
| 33 | 56 | S 84 | Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) | Introduced | Paycheck Fairness Act |
| 35 | 55 | S 2280 | John Hoeven (R-ND) | Introduced | A bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. |
| 35 | 55 | SRES 177 | Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA) | Passed Senate | A resolution honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of small business concerns in the Un... |
| 37 | 54 | S 2329 | Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) | Introduced | Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 |
| 38 | 53 | S 2013 | Marco Rubio (R-FL) | Introduced | Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 |
| 39 | 52 | S 1431 | Ron Wyden (D-OR) | Introduced | Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act |
| 40 | 51 | S 2516 | Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) | Introduced | DISCLOSE Act of 2014 |
* Note: The cosponsor totals cited above do not include the author and lead sponsor of the bill. The tally of total bills introduced used here does not include low House bill numbers reserved to the Speaker, Majority Leader, and Minority leader for later use. Those bills do appear to be counted by congress.gov as “introduced.” Legislation above includes House and Senate Bills (H.R./S.), Resolutions (H.Res./S.Res.), Concurrent Resolutions (H.Con.Res./S.Con.Res.) and Joint Resolutions (H.J.Res./S.J.Res.). The counts do not include amendments.