Welcome to Factoid Friday.

The worst Congress in the history of the United States was almost certainly the 32nd, which met from March 1851 until March 1853. Both chambers were comprised of large Democratic majorities, with the Senate led by William King (a pro-Union man from Alabama) and the House led by Linn Boyd (from the border state of Kentucky). Both men had been instrumental in passing the Compromise of 1850, which tried – and ultimately failed – to resolve sectional disputes following the addition of Texas and California into the country after victory over Mexico. The resulting political environment was toxic, with southerners fearful that their days of influence were numbered, and northerners arguing over whether to try to appease the South, or to push forward with abolition. Some noteworthy members included Jeff Davis, Henry Clay, Stephen Douglas, William Seward, Salmon Chase and Sam Houston. To understand the emotions hanging over this Congress, note that Uncle Tom’s cabin was published in 1852, and just a few years later, Charles Sumner (a Massachusetts abolitionist) would be caned almost to death on the floor of the Senate by Representative Preston Brooks (South Carolina). Yikes.

No wonder, then, that the 32nd is noteworthy as being the most conflicted and ineffectual Congress in American history. In the two years it served, it passed one and only one piece of major legislation: an act to deliver the oath of office to Vice President to William R. King.

Good work, gentlemen.

By comparison, consider the current Congress, the 115th, which began in January 2017 and will run until January 2019. Both chambers are comprised of Republican majorities, with the Senate led by Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and the House by Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. The majorities which the Republicans in the 115th hold over the opposition party are much narrower than was the case in the 32nd, but the 115th enjoys the advantage that the sitting President is a fellow Republican, whereas for the 32nd Congress the sitting President, Millard Fillmore, was an opposition Whig.

So how are they doing? The 115th is averaging about 10 pieces of legislation a month, but almost all of it is purely ceremonial. And that is about half the success rate that the legislative branch has been achieving on average since World War 2. Only a handful of Congresses in all of history have moved this slowly. Meanwhile, in terms of major legislation, there is only one achievement: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Of which many members of the 115th, both Democratic and Republican, are becoming increasingly critical.

So what’s the plan for the remainder of the term? To bide time until the elections and then just begin again as the 116th?

Not if Mitch McConnell has anything to say about it. In order to get more done, this week he cancelled the Senate’s upcoming August recess, and ordered his colleagues to stay in Washington – have you ever spent time in Washington in August? – and attend to such things as appropriations, fixing the healthcare system, overhauling immigration policy, confirming nominees, etc…

It’s a heavy lift, but August should provide the 115th a quiet time to really buckle down, and focus on doing their job. Unless, of course, you consider that the August recess is usually the time Congressional members spend time at home with their constituents, shoring up their support in advance of the upcoming fall elections. And that McConnell’s decision is really a cynical stunt that has more to do with holding a political majority than it does actually getting any work done.Ya think?

So the 115th limps into its final six months, with a pretty good shot at becoming, from a purely quantitative perspective, the worst Congress in American history.

Or, if you prefer to look at it from a qualitative perspective, here’s one final factoid to consider: the 115th began its term with a public approval rating of 19%. As of May 2018, that number had sunk to a near-all-time-low of 17.

Good work, ladies and gentlemen.