Congress is the problem, term limits ?

Congress is in the midst of its summer recess, which might be hard to notice, because lawmakers managed to not do much even when they were in Washington.
At first blush, it’s hardly breaking news that Congress isn’t getting a whole lot accomplished. But a USA Today analysis last week underscores just how little Congress has to show for itself.
Simply put, lawmakers aren’t making many laws. Looking at the number of bills being passed into law, the current Congress is on track to be the least productive since 1947, USA Today reported.
To put it in perspective, Hawaii and Alaska weren’t even states in 1947. The Dodgers still played in Brooklyn in 1947, the year Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier.
So far this year, Congress has approved only 61 bills out of 3,914. Lawmakers apparently could only agree on 2 percent of the legislation put forth. In 2011, Congress signed off on just 90 bills.
How low are those figures? Between 1947 and 2010, Congress passed at least 125 bills every year except one; in 1995, lawmakers passed only 88 bills. But in 1996, Congress got busy, approving 245 bills.
Don’t expect a similar bounce-back this year.
Lawmakers aren’t going to spend that much time in Washington for the rest of the year. Most members of Congress are seeking re-election. Based on those numbers, one wonders what accomplishments those incumbents can tout.
Both Democrats and Republicans deserve to take the blame for this gridlock.
GOP lawmakers can say with some credibility that Senate Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, aren’t putting forth budget plans. Republicans, however, have repeatedly pushed bills that are certain to gain little or no Democratic support.
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., deserves credit for passing one of the few pieces of legislation to be signed into law. And he offers an example other lawmakers should follow much more often: He crossed party lines in seeking co-sponsors on legislation to create more jobs.
Toomey worked with Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on legislation to make it easier for small companies to go public. As Toomey noted during a meeting with The Patriot-News Editorial Board last week, the two lawmakers “usually can’t agree that it’s Wednesday.”
Admittedly, the Toomey-Schumer bill is hardly the most sweeping legislation, but it offers genuine opportunities to help people. President Barack Obama signed the measure in April.
If more lawmakers crossed party lines, even on smaller bills, it might lead to better bipartisan relationships that could be useful in tackling bigger problems.
Such cooperation could certainly become useful in Harrisburg, too, which is rivaling Washington in its lack of activity in recent years.
The General Assembly under then-Gov. Ed Rendell approved 226 bills in the 2009-10 legislative session, which marked the lowest number in a quarter-century.
Some might applaud the fact that lawmakers aren’t passing too many laws, since it does reduce the possibility that they will enact bad laws.
But the small number of bills making it into law offers stark evidence that too many lawmakers are doing too little.
For many lawmakers, the lazy days of summer are simply business as usual. Voters should consider that when they cast their ballots this fall.