All Congresses
109th Congress (2005-2007) hub

109th Congress (2005-2007), in detail.

Every analytics panel scoped to the 109th Congress (2005-2007), plus comparisons against the 108th.

13,072
Bills introduced
483
Became law
1,859
Roll-call votes
546
Members

Productivity Index

109th Congress by the numbers: 13,072 bills introduced, 483 enacted, 1,859 roll-call votes.

13,072Bills introduced+22.5% vs. previous
483Became law-4.2% vs. previous
1,859Roll-call votes
3.7% of bills introduced this congress have become law.
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress
Section 1

Member Rankings

The named winners and losers — workhorses, mavericks, and bipartisan builders.

The Workhorse Index

Members ranked by primary-sponsored bills.

  1. 1Robert E. Andrews
    Robert E. Andrews
    D·NJ-1HOUSE
    128bills
  2. 2Phil English
    Phil English
    R·PA-3HOUSE
    82bills
  3. 3Carolyn B. Maloney
    Carolyn B. Maloney
    D·NY-14HOUSE
    78bills
  4. 4Ron Paul
    Ron Paul
    R·TX-14HOUSE
    71bills
  5. 5F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
    68bills
  1. 6Phil Gingrey
    Phil Gingrey
    R·GA-11HOUSE
    64bills
  2. 7Don Young
    Don Young
    R·AKHOUSE
    63bills
  3. 8Charles B. Rangel
    Charles B. Rangel
    D·NY-15HOUSE
    60bills
  4. 9Steve Buyer
    Steve Buyer
    R·IN-4HOUSE
    58bills
  5. 10Nita M. Lowey
    Nita M. Lowey
    D·NY-18HOUSE
    55bills
Show all (10)
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Cosponsor Kings

Members who sign onto the most bills.

  1. 1Raúl M. Grijalva
    Raúl M. Grijalva
    D·AZ-7HOUSE
    1,050cosponsorships
  2. 2Major R. Owens
    Major R. Owens
    D·NY-11HOUSE
    922cosponsorships
  3. 3Donald M. Payne
    Donald M. Payne
    D·NJ-10HOUSE
    862cosponsorships
  4. 4John Conyers, Jr.
    John Conyers, Jr.
    D·MI-14HOUSE
    860cosponsorships
  5. 5Jim McDermott
    Jim McDermott
    D·WA-7HOUSE
    853cosponsorships
  1. 6Sheila Jackson Lee
    Sheila Jackson Lee
    D·TX-18HOUSE
    846cosponsorships
  2. 7James P. McGovern
    James P. McGovern
    D·MA-3HOUSE
    803cosponsorships
  3. 8Janice D. Schakowsky
    788cosponsorships
  4. 9Robert Wexler
    Robert Wexler
    D·FL-19HOUSE
    763cosponsorships
  5. 10Carolyn B. Maloney
    Carolyn B. Maloney
    D·NY-14HOUSE
    721cosponsorships
Show all (10)
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

The Maverick Meter

Members who vote against their party's majority position most often.

  1. 1Ron Paul
    Ron Paul
    R·TX-14HOUSE
    39%434 of 1120
  2. 2Gene Taylor
    Gene Taylor
    D·MS-4HOUSE
    24%278 of 1146
  3. 3Walter B. Jones
    Walter B. Jones
    R·NC-3HOUSE
    24%269 of 1132
  4. 4Dan Boren
    Dan Boren
    D·OK-2HOUSE
    23%272 of 1179
  5. 5Christopher Shays
    Christopher Shays
    R·CT-4HOUSE
    22%256 of 1144
  1. 6Robert E. (Bud) Cramer Jr.
    21%249 of 1168
  2. 7James A. Leach
    James A. Leach
    R·IA-2HOUSE
    21%246 of 1155
  3. 8Collin C. Peterson
    Collin C. Peterson
    D·MN-7HOUSE
    21%251 of 1184
  4. 9Jim Matheson
    Jim Matheson
    D·UT-4HOUSE
    21%249 of 1199
  5. 10Jim Marshall
    Jim Marshall
    D·GA-8HOUSE
    20%232 of 1162
Show all (10)
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Bipartisan Builders

Cosponsorships of bills sponsored by the opposite party.

  1. 1Bernard Sanders
    Bernard Sanders
    I·VTHOUSE
    601cross-party cosponsorships
  2. 2Robert Wexler
    Robert Wexler
    D·FL-19HOUSE
    288cross-party cosponsorships
  3. 3Sheila Jackson Lee
    Sheila Jackson Lee
    D·TX-18HOUSE
    271cross-party cosponsorships
  4. 4Bart Gordon
    Bart Gordon
    D·TN-6HOUSE
    270cross-party cosponsorships
  5. 5Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.
    268cross-party cosponsorships
  1. 6Michael R. McNulty
    Michael R. McNulty
    D·NY-21HOUSE
    268cross-party cosponsorships
  2. 7Collin C. Peterson
    Collin C. Peterson
    D·MN-7HOUSE
    260cross-party cosponsorships
  3. 8Donald M. Payne
    Donald M. Payne
    D·NJ-10HOUSE
    258cross-party cosponsorships
  4. 9Tom Lantos
    Tom Lantos
    D·CA-12HOUSE
    254cross-party cosponsorships
  5. 10Dennis Moore
    Dennis Moore
    D·KS-3HOUSE
    248cross-party cosponsorships
Show all (10)
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Freshman Power Rankings

First-term members of the 109th Congress, ranked by composite activity.

  1. 1Ken Salazar
    Ken Salazar
    D·COSENATE
    644composite score
  2. 2Emanuel Cleaver
    Emanuel Cleaver
    D·MO-5HOUSE
    585composite score
  3. 3Brian Higgins
    Brian Higgins
    D·NY-27HOUSE
    577composite score
  4. 4Barack Obama
    Barack Obama
    D·ILSENATE
    573composite score
  5. 5John R. "Randy" Kuhl Jr.
    565composite score
  1. 6Debbie Wasserman Schultz
    556composite score
  2. 7Al Green
    Al Green
    D·TX-9HOUSE
    528composite score
  3. 8Doris O. Matsui
    Doris O. Matsui
    D·CA-5HOUSE
    488composite score
  4. 9Allyson Y. Schwartz
    Allyson Y. Schwartz
    D·PA-13HOUSE
    473composite score
  5. 10Michael T. McCaul
    Michael T. McCaul
    R·TX-10HOUSE
    463composite score
Show all (10)
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Closest Re-elections

Members whose last election was decided by the smallest margins.

  1. 1Michael E. Sodrel
    Michael E. Sodrel
    R·IN-9HOUSE
    0.5pt margin
  2. 2Charlie Melancon
    Charlie Melancon
    D·LA-3HOUSE
    0.5pt margin
  3. 3Brian Higgins
    Brian Higgins
    D·NY-27HOUSE
    0.66pt margin
  4. 4Jim Gerlach
    Jim Gerlach
    R·PA-6HOUSE
    2.03pt margin
  5. 5Jean Schmidt
    Jean Schmidt
    R·OH-2HOUSE
    3.27pt margin
  1. 6Melissa L. Bean
    Melissa L. Bean
    D·IL-8HOUSE
    3.4pt margin
  2. 7John Barrow
    John Barrow
    D·GA-12HOUSE
    3.62pt margin
  3. 8Chet Edwards
    Chet Edwards
    D·TX-17HOUSE
    3.78pt margin
  4. 9John T. Salazar
    John T. Salazar
    D·CO-3HOUSE
    3.99pt margin
  5. 10Brian P. Bilbray
    Brian P. Bilbray
    R·CA-50HOUSE
    4.55pt margin
Show all (10)
109th Congress

Attendance Hall of Fame & Hall of Shame

Who showed up — and who didn't.

Hall of Fame · best 5

  1. 1Shelley Sekula Gibbs
    100.0%27 of 27
  2. 2J. Dennis Hastert
    J. Dennis Hastert
    R·IL-14HOUSE
    100.0%119 of 119
  3. 3Albio Sires
    Albio Sires
    D·NJ-8HOUSE
    100.0%27 of 27
  4. 4Dale E. Kildee
    Dale E. Kildee
    D·MI-5HOUSE
    99.9%1214 of 1215
  5. 5John Kline
    John Kline
    R·MN-2HOUSE
    99.9%1214 of 1215
  1. 6Fred Upton
    Fred Upton
    R·MI-6HOUSE
    99.9%1214 of 1215
  2. 7Bob Goodlatte
    Bob Goodlatte
    R·VA-6HOUSE
    99.9%1214 of 1215
  3. 8Jon C. Porter
    Jon C. Porter
    R·NV-3HOUSE
    99.8%1214 of 1216
  4. 9Charles W. Dent
    Charles W. Dent
    R·PA-15HOUSE
    99.8%1214 of 1216
  5. 10Sander M. Levin
    Sander M. Levin
    D·MI-9HOUSE
    99.8%1214 of 1216
Show all (10)

Hall of Shame · worst 5

  1. 1Lane Evans
    Lane Evans
    D·IL-17HOUSE
    69.8%526 of 1740 missed
  2. 2Jim Davis
    Jim Davis
    D·FL-11HOUSE
    80.1%302 of 1516 missed
  3. 3Ted Strickland
    Ted Strickland
    D·OH-6HOUSE
    81.4%278 of 1492 missed
  4. 4Harold E. Ford Jr.
    Harold E. Ford Jr.
    D·TN-9HOUSE
    85.0%214 of 1428 missed
  5. 5Ernest J. Istook Jr.
    85.6%205 of 1419 missed
  1. 6Luis V. Gutierrez
    Luis V. Gutierrez
    D·IL-4HOUSE
    86.5%189 of 1398 missed
  2. 7John E. Sweeney
    John E. Sweeney
    R·NY-20HOUSE
    87.1%180 of 1394 missed
  3. 8John Lewis
    John Lewis
    D·GA-5HOUSE
    87.3%177 of 1391 missed
  4. 9Juanita Millender-McDonald
    87.3%176 of 1390 missed
  5. 10Donald M. Payne
    Donald M. Payne
    D·NJ-10HOUSE
    87.7%170 of 1384 missed
Show all (10)
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress
Section 2

Bills Pulse

What Congress is working on, what makes it through, and what dies on the way.

The Mortality Funnel

Only 3.7% of bills introduced in the 109th Congress have become law (483 of 13,072).

Introduced
13,072
Saw action
13,072100%
Passed a chamber
2,10816%
Passed both chambers
1,51372%
Became law
48332%
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Time to Pass

Median time from introduction to enactment: 168 days.

< 30 days
79
30–90 days
66
90–180 days
105
180–365 days
130
1–2 years
103
2+ years
0
Range: 0 – 710 days · 483 enacted bills
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Policy Area Treemap

13,072 bills across 35 policy areas.

Bills by policy area in 109th Congress (2005-2007)
Foreign Trade and Interna…1,697Commemorations1,300Health1,132Taxation1,056International Affairs846Public Lands and Natural …683Armed Forces and National…631Congress598Crime and Law Enforcement459Government Operations and…436
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Most Active Bills (last 30 days)

The bills Congress keeps coming back to.

  • H.R. 6164

    National Institutes of Health Reform Act of 2006

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 5483

    Railroad Retirement Disability Earnings Act

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 482

    Pine Springs Land Exchange Act

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 4997

    Physicians for Underserved Areas Act

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 1245

    Johanna's Law

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 4709

    Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 5948

    Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2006

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 5946

    Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 6338

    Geneva Distinctive Emblems Protection Act of 2006

    6
    velocity
  • H.R. 486

    Holloman Air Force Base Land Exchange Act

    6
    velocity
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Most Cosponsored Bills

Which bills built the biggest coalitions.

  • H.R. 282

    Iran Freedom Support Act

    360
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 994

    To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums.

    340
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 147

    Social Security Fairness Act of 2005

    327
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 817

    Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2005

    325
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 358

    Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act

    321
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 4562

    Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act

    313
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 1259

    To award a congressional gold medal on behalf of the Tuskegee Airmen, collectively, in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.

    310
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 2808

    Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act

    309
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 2872

    Louis Braille Bicentennial--Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act

    309
    cosponsors
  • H.R. 4902

    Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act

    302
    cosponsors
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Bipartisan Magnet Bills

Bills with the most balanced D/R cosponsorship.

  • 1
    H.R. 793

    Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act

    D43
    R43
    100
    balance
  • 2
    H.R. 986

    Teacher Tax Credit Act of 2005

    D42
    R42
    100
    balance
  • 3
    H.R. 3

    SAFETEA-LU

    D40
    R40
    100
    balance
  • 4
    H.Res. 523

    Condemning Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's threats against Israel.

    D35
    R35
    100
    balance
  • 5
    H.Con.Res. 390

    Expressing the sense of the Congress that, as a matter of economic and national security, the United States Government should protect and support United States currency.

    D29
    R29
    100
    balance
  • 6
    H.Res. 441

    To congratulate the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Discovery crew of Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly, Mission Specialist Charlie Camarda, Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence, Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi, Mission Specialist Steve Robinson, and Mission Specialist Andy Thomas on the successful completion of their 14 day test flight to the International Space Station for the first step of the Vision for Space Exploration, begun from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 26, 2005, and completed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on August 9, 2005, which historical mission represented a great step forward into the new beginning of the Second Space Age.

    D29
    R29
    100
    balance
  • 7
    S. 3936

    National Competitiveness Investment Act

    D21
    R21
    100
    balance
  • 8
    H.R. 1544

    Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005

    D20
    R20
    100
    balance
  • 9
    H.Res. 12

    Expressing condolences and support for assistance to the victims of the earthquake and tsunamis that occurred on December 26, 2004, in South and Southeast Asia.

    D20
    R20
    100
    balance
  • 10
    S. 313

    Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Act of 2005

    D19
    R19
    100
    balance
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Chamber Composition

Every member who served at any point during the 109th Congress.

house446
house party composition
  • Democrat208
  • Independent1
  • Republican237
senate101
senate party composition
  • Democrat45
  • Independent1
  • Republican55
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress
Section 3

Votes & Polarization

Roll-call patterns, partisan fault lines, and the moments Congress was nearly tied.

Closest Votes

Roll-call votes decided by the smallest margins.

  • 1

    Call of the House

    house·Dec 8, 2006
    0
    vote margin
  • 2

    On the Motion (Motion to Waive the Emergency Designation Re: Schumer Amdt. No. 4587)

    senate·Jul 12, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 50
    50 Nay
  • 3

    On the Motion (Motion to Waive CBA Re: Biden Amdt. No. 4553)

    senate·Jul 12, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 50
    50 Nay
  • 4

    On Agreeing to the Amendment

    house·H.R. 5576·Jun 14, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 214
    214 Nay
  • 5

    On the Amendment S.Amdt. 4097 to S. 2611 (Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006)

    senate·May 25, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 49
    49 Nay
  • 6

    On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3166 to S.Con.Res. 83 (No short title on file)

    senate·Mar 16, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 50
    50 Nay
  • 7

    On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3121 to S.Con.Res. 83 (No short title on file)

    senate·Mar 16, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 50
    50 Nay
  • 8

    On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3009 to S.Con.Res. 83 (No short title on file)

    senate·Mar 15, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 49
    49 Nay
  • 9

    On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3028 to S.Con.Res. 83 (No short title on file)

    senate·Mar 14, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 50
    50 Nay
  • 10

    On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3013 to S.Con.Res. 83 (No short title on file)

    senate·Mar 14, 2006
    0
    vote margin
    Yea 50
    50 Nay
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Committee Power Index

Committees ranked by bills referred and bills enacted.

Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Vote Type Breakdown

1,859 roll-call votes by category.

Votes by type in 109th Congress (2005-2007)
amendment739procedural712passage170other120confirmation59cloture42journal8quorum4adjournment4election1
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

VP Tie-Breakers

Times the Vice President cast the deciding vote in the Senate.

1
Tie-breaker votes
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress

Vote Activity Calendar

1,859 roll-call votes over 246 days.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
SunTueThuSat
Source: Congress.gov109th Congress
Section 4

Find your Vote Twin

The headline interactive — answer 10 real votes, find the member who voted most like you.

Find your Vote Twin

Pick topics, answer 10 real votes, and we'll show you the member of Congress who voted most like you.

Section 5

vs. Previous Congress

109th vs. 108th Congress

Side-by-side, with directional change.

Bills introduced
13,072
vs.
10,669
+22.5%
Became law
483
vs.
504
-4.2%
Roll-call votes
1,859
vs.
1,896
-2.0%