As of today, 101 members of the 111th Congress of the United States have the dubious dishonor of not having introduced a single bill for consideration.
Let me be clear about what I mean by this. When I last reported on inactivity in the Congress two weeks ago, someone (a staffer?) gave me a hard time because I didn’t give representatives and senators credit for offering congratulations to sports teams or for writing amendments to already existing bills. So fine: just to be clear, the list of representatives and senators you can find below is not just of people who haven’t submitted any substantive bills. They haven’t done that, but they haven’t written any symbolic bills either, ones that congratulate sports teams or rename post offices or declare March 26 to be “National Day of the Lima Bean.” They haven’t even done that. The people whose names you read below are collecting six-figure salaries, getting premium health care, building up time credit for special pensions, using the mailing and staff hiring privileges… and they haven’t even written a single amendment to anybody else’s bill. The members of Congress whose names you read below haven’t submitted a single piece of legislation, in whole or part, by itself or in amendment. Two months in to the 111th Congress, 101 of the 530 or so active members of Congress haven’t done any original legislative work. They are the Do-Nothing Members of Congress.
The following members of the House of Representatives have not introduced a single substantive bill, symbolic resolution or amendment:
Rep. Robert B. Aderholt, Republican of Alabama District 4. District office phone number: 256-546-0201
Rep. Robert E. Andrews, Democrat of New Jersey District 1. District office phone number: 856-546-5100
Rep. Steve Austria, Republican of Ohio District 7. District office phone number: 937-325-0474
Rep. Spencer Bachus, Republican of Alabama District 6. District office phone number: 205-280-0704
Rep. Melissa Bean, Democrat of Illinois District 8. District office phone number: 847-925-0265
Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Democrat of Georgia District 2. District office phone number: 706-320-9477
Rep. John Boccieri, Democrat of Ohio District 16. District office phone number: 330-489-4414
Rep. Jo Bonner, Republican of Alabama District 1. District office phone number: 251-943-2073
Rep. Allen Boyd, Democrat of Florida District 2. District office phone number: 850-561-3979
Rep. Corrine Brown, Democrat of Florida District 3. District office phone number: 407-872-0656
Rep. Eric I. Cantor, Republican of Virginia District 7. District office phone number: 804-747-4073
Rep. Joseph Quang Cao, Republican of Louisiana District 2. District office phone number: 504-589-2274
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia District 2. District office phone number: 304-264-8810
Rep. Andre Carson, Democrat of Indiana District 7. District office phone number: 317-283-6516
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Republican of Utah District 3. District office phone number: 801-851-2500
Rep. Travis Childers, Democrat of Mississippi District 1. District office phone number: 662-449-3090
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II, Democrat of Missouri District 5. District office phone number: 816-842-4545
Rep. James E. Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina District 6. District office phone number: 803-854-4700
Rep. Howard Coble, Republican of North Carolina District 6. District office phone number: 336-333-5005
Rep. Mike Coffman, Republican of Colorado District 6. District office phone number: 720-283-9772
Rep. Gerry Connolly, Democrat of Virginia District 11. District office phone number: 703-256-3071
Rep. Jim Cooper, Democrat of Tennessee District 5. District office phone number: 615-736-5295
Rep. John A. Culberson, Republican of Texas District 7. District office phone number: 713-682-8828
Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, Democrat of Pennsylvania District 3. District office phone number: 814-456-2038
Rep. Danny Davis, Democrat of Illinois District 7. District office phone number: 773-533-7520
Rep. Geoff Davis, Republican of Kentucky District 4. District office phone number: 859-824-3320
Rep. Nathan Deal, Republican of Georgia District 9. District office phone number: 706-638-7042
Rep. Joe Donnelly, Democrat of Indiana District 2. District office phone number: 574-288-2780
Rep. Steve Driehaus, Democrat of Ohio District 1. District office phone number: 513-684-2723
Rep. Donna Edwards, Democrat of Maryland District 4. District office phone number: 301-562-7960
Rep. Bobby Etheridge, Democrat of North Carolina District 2. District office phone number: 910-814-0335
Rep. John Fleming, Republican of Louisiana District 4. District office phone number: 337-238-0778
Rep. Marcia L. Fudge, Democrat of Ohio District 11. District office phone number: 216-522-4900
Rep. Alan Grayson, Democrat of Florida District 8. District office phone number: 407-841-1757
Rep. Parker Griffith, Democrat of Alabama District 5. District office phone number: 256-551-0190
Rep. Deborah DeFrancesco Halvorson, Democrat of Illinois District 11. District office phone number: 815-726-4998
Rep. Gregg Harper, Republican of Mississippi District 3. District office phone number: 662-324-0007
Rep. Martin Heinrich, Democrat of New Mexico District 1. District office phone number: 505-346-6781
Rep. Jim Himes, Democrat of Connecticut District 4. District office phone number: 203-210-7711
Rep. Bob Inglis, Republican of South Carolina District 4. District office phone number: 864-582-6422
Rep. Timothy V. Johnson, Republican of Illinois District 15. District office phone number: 618-262-8719
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, Democrat of Michigan District 13. District office phone number: 734-246-0780
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, Democrat of Ohio District 15. District office phone number: 614-294-2196
Rep. Ron J. Klein, Democrat of Florida District 22. District office phone number: 561-544-6910
Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, Democrat of Florida District 24. District office phone number: 407-208-1106
Rep. Frank Kratovil, Jr., Democrat of Maryland District 1. District office phone number: 443-262-9136
Rep. Leonard Lance, Republican of New Jersey District 7. District office phone number: 908-518-7733
Rep. Rick R. Larsen, Democrat of Washington District 2. District office phone number: 800-562-1385
Rep. Tom Latham, Republican of Iowa District 4. District office phone number: 515-232-2885
Rep. Sander M. Levin, Democrat of Michigan District 12. District office phone number: 586-498-7122
Rep. Jerry Lewis, Republican of California District 41. District office phone number: 800-233-1700
Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo, Republican of New Jersey District 2. District office phone number: 800-471-4450
Rep. Frank D. Lucas, Republican of Oklahoma District 3. District office phone number: 580-256-5752
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, Republican of Missouri District 9. District office phone number: 573-886-8929
Rep. Cynthia Lummis, Republican of Wyoming District 0. District office phone number: 307-261-6595
Rep. Dan Lungren, Republican of California District 3. District office phone number: 916-859-9906
Rep. Dan Maffei, Democrat of New York District 25. District office phone number: 315-423-5657
Rep. Kenny Marchant, Republican of Texas District 24. District office phone number: 972-556-0162
Rep. Eric J.J. Massa, Democrat of New York District 29. District office phone number: 585-218-0040
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California District 22. District office phone number: 661-327-3611
Rep. Patrick McHenry, Republican of North Carolina District 10. District office phone number: 828-765-2729
Rep. Howard P. (Buck) McKeon, Republican of California District 25. District office phone number: 661-274-9688
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, Democrat of West Virginia District 1. District office phone number: 304-292-3019
Rep. Jerry Moran, Republican of Kansas District 1. District office phone number: 785-628-6401
Rep. Christopher Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut District 5. District office phone number: 203-759-7541
Rep. John P. Murtha, Democrat of Pennsylvania District 12. District office phone number: 724-852-2209
Rep. Pete Olson, Republican of Texas District 22. District office phone number: 281-240-3700
Rep. John W. Olver, Democrat of Massachusetts District 1. District office phone number: 413-442-0946
Rep. Erik Paulsen, Republican of Minnesota District 3. District office phone number: 952-405-8510
Rep. Gary Peters, Democrat of Michigan District 9. District office phone number: 248-273-4227
Rep. Dave Reichert, Republican of Washington District 8. District office phone number: 206-275-3438
Rep. Laura Richardson, Democrat of California District 37. District office phone number: 562-436-3828
Rep. David (Phil) Roe, Republican of Tennessee District 1. District office phone number: 423-317-7459
Rep. Harold Rogers, Republican of Kentucky District 5. District office phone number: 606-439-0794
Rep. Mark Schauer, Democrat of Michigan District 7. District office phone number: 517-780-9075
Rep. Kurt Schrader, Democrat of Oregon District 5. District office phone number: 503-588-9100
Rep. David Scott, Democrat of Georgia District 13. District office phone number: 770-210-5073
Rep. John Shimkus, Republican of Illinois District 19. District office phone number: 618-344-3065
Rep. Adrian Smith, Republican of Nebraska District 3. District office phone number: 308-633-6333
Rep. Vic Snyder, Democrat of Arkansas District 2. District office phone number: 501-324-5941
Rep. Mark Edward Souder, Republican of Indiana District 3. District office phone number: 800-959-3041
Rep. Gene Taylor, Democrat of Mississippi District 4. District office phone number: 228-864-7670
Rep. John Tierney, Democrat of Massachusetts District 6. District office phone number: 781-595-7375
Rep. Dina Titus, Democrat of Nevada District 3. District office phone number: 702-387-4941
Rep. Paul Tonko, Democrat of New York District 21. District office phone number: 518-465-0700
Rep. Tim Walz, Democrat of Minnesota District 1. District office phone number: 507-206-0643
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democrat of Florida District 20. District office phone number: 954-437-3936
Rep. Melvin L. Watt, Democrat of North Carolina District 12. District office phone number: 336-275-9950
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, Republican of Georgia District 3. District office phone number: 770-683-2033
Rep. Edward Whitfield, Republican of Kentucky District 1. District office phone number: 270-826-4180
Rep. Charles Wilson, Democrat of Ohio District 6. District office phone number: 330-533-7250
Rep. C. W. (Bill) Young, Republican of Florida District 10. District office phone number: 727-893-3191
The following members of the Senate have not introduced a single bill, resolution or amendment:
Senator Michael F. Bennet, Democrat of Colorado. In-state office phone number: 719-587-0096
Senator Roland Burris, Democrat of Illinois. In-state office phone number: 312-886-3506
Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia. In-state office phone number: 304-342-5855
Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee. In-state office phone number: 423-756-2757
Senator Kay Hagan, Democrat of North Carolina. In-state office phone number: 919-856-4630
Senator Ted Kaufman, Democrat of Delaware. In-state office phone number: 302-573-6345
Senator Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon. In-state office phone number: 503-326-3386
Senator Jim Risch, Republican of Idaho. In-state office phone number: 208-342-7985
Senator Richard C. Shelby, Republican of Alabama. In-state office phone number: 251-694-4164
As I did two weeks ago, I’ve attached local phone numbers so that if you find one or more of your representatives on this list, you can give them a call. If you believe that your members of Congress should do something for their pay, their perks and their power, call them and tell them so. If your Senator or Representative is new to Congress, you might want to be a bit forgiving … but a majority of the people you can find on the list above are actually congressional veterans. Ask your members of Congress what they plan to do with their term in office and when they plan to get started. Take notes and hold them to what they say.
Jeez..some of these guys have barely been in office for two months. They don’t deserve to be on a “do-nothing” list. In addition, Senators do a lot more than just draft and introduce legislation. This is an unfair and simplistic POV on their work.
You know, apologizing for your political patron without disclosure is tacky. I already wrote that “If your Senator or Representative is new to Congress, you might want to be a bit forgiving,” but really, if Senator Merkley can’t handle questions about his legislative agenda from his constituents, then what is he doing in office? Besides, as again I’ve already said, most of the people on this list are congressional veterans.
Yeah! It’s so unfair that some of the most powerful politicians in America have been working for weeks without anything to show for it! You said it Carla! Criticizing the powerful is so, so, you know, unfair! And it’s not as if they’ve been trying to get their jobs for the last two years, and making a lot of promises about how hard they would work for people, and change things, and stuff! America would be so much better if people would just not complain when their representatives in Washington D.C. don’t represent them competently!
Thank you, Carla, for speaking up for the silent, apathetic majority!
Please write them and inquire what have they doing for two months…perhaps debating this weeks bail outs?
Interesting..so I’m not allowed to speak up on this issue because I worked on Jeff Merkley’s U.S. Senate campaign for nine months and left almost a year ago? Seriously…that’s the best you’ve got?
Is this blog deliberately about flouting ignorance on the U.S. legislature or is it merely an accident?
Uh, Carla, if you’re not “allowed to speak up” then how come you’ve been allowed to leave comments twice? Seriously… that’s the best you’ve got?
You’re allowed to speak up, Carla, but when you speak up with nonsense, other people are allowed to mock you.
If ignorance is sharing factual information with people, then yes, that’s what we’re about.
Clearly, you can write whatever you like here. You just did, twice. But you’re not a disinterested party to this discussion, and you shouldn’t pretend to be, and you shouldn’t be surprised if I notice that.