ZWF: Congress' historically unproductive year
Zander's Weekend Facts #98: Sunday, December 24, 2023
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, Congress passing very few bills in 2023, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 127 features a deep dive into how sports stadiums are funded in the U.S., and why public money is often used. Download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, December 24, 2023:
Congress passed how many bills in 2023?
Even by congressional standards, 2023 was an extremely unproductive year in the nation’s capital.
With the year set to wrap up in a matter of days, Congress sent a grand total of 27 bills to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
27. Which is just eight more than the number of Speaker votes that were held in the House this year. Also just four more than the number of federal charges facing former member of the House George Santos.
Congress passed so few laws in 2023 that NPR was able to explain them all in less than 1,000 words. (Article here)
Among the most consequential:
The Fiscal Responsibility Act made sure the government didn’t default on its own debt.
The Continuing Appropriations Act and Further Continuing Appropriations Act made sure the government was funded and didn’t shut down.
The CADETS Act extends the financial aid program of service academies.
The 250th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps Commemorative Coin Act commissioned a coin for the Marine Corps’ 250-year anniversary.
The COVID-19 Origin Act made sure we get to the bottom of how COVID really started.
The House passed just 27 bills that were signed into law, despite holding a total of 724 votes. Compared to last year, the House passed 248 bills that were signed into law from holding 549 votes. Of course, the big change was leadership. The House transferred from Democratic to Republican control in the new year, resulting in split control of Congress.
27 is also much worse than what had been considered historically unproductive previously: the 70-something laws that had been passed in years during Bill Clinton and Barack Obama’s presidencies.
But I’m pretty sure none of those years had members of Congress physically attacking each other on the House floor, did they? (Barring 1856)
But at least Congress gave us some of the best drama from the past year.
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from Axios - Capitol Hill stunner: 2023 led to fewest laws in decades - (Apple News link)
What Zander’s been reading
While it’s been on television for 40 years, Wheel of Fortune is still one of the most-watched programs in America. So you’ve probably at one time or another watched at home while a contestant on t.v. was attempting to solve a puzzle. And if you ever happen to be a contestant yourself, The New York Times has you covered with the best strategies to use.
Check out this week’s featured article at The New York Times - What’s the Best ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Strategy? Play and Find Out.
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Colorado Election Ballot: The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to bar former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 primary election ballot. In a 4-3 decision, the court determined that Trump was ineligible to be on the ballot due to Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Section Three prohibits anyone who has engaged in insurrection or aiding anyone who has from holding public office. Previous attempts in other states to kick Trump off the ballot have been unsuccessful. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Colorado’s Republican Primary election is currently scheduled for March 5.
Iceland Volcano: A volcano that for weeks had been showing signs of activity in Iceland began erupting on Monday. The fissure, nearly 2.5 miles long and located in the southwestern part of the country, is near the village of Grindavík. The glow from the eruption could be seen in the capital of Reykjavik. By Thursday, scientists said that the eruption had stopped, allowing residents of Grindavík to return after being evacuated back in November.
Rudy Giuliani: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Thursday. Giuliani, who previously served as personal attorney to former President Donald Trump, was ordered to pay $148 million to former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss after he was found guilty of defamation. On Wednesday, a judge in Georgia ordered Giuliani to immediately pay Freeman and Moss. Giuliani listed up to $500 million in debts in a filing while also claiming his assets were between $1 million and $10 million.
Apple Watch Sales: Apple has paused online sales of some Apple Watch models due to a patent dispute. The International Trade Commission ruled that Apple infringed on a patent from medical device company Masimo with its SpO2 sensors. Devices with the SpO2 sensor, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra Serie 2, are no longer being sold on Apple’s website and won’t be available in physical Apple stores after today. Sales at other retailers are not affected and the ban only applies to the U.S.. It’s unclear when the ban will be lifted, which could take until Apple makes changes to its sensors or reaches an agreement with Masimo.
Vehicle Recalls: Three major automakers issued recalls last week affecting millions of cars. On Wednesday, Honda recalled nearly 2.5 million cars in the U.S. and another two million internationally because of the risk that the fuel pump might fail inside the fuel tank, which could cause cars to stall while driving. Tesla announced a recall of over 120,000 vehicles due to doors that could unlatch and open during a crash. Finally, Toyota recalled one million vehicles due to front passenger airbags failing to deploy during a crash. To see if your vehicle is under a recall notice, you can visit www.nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
NFL Week 16: The NFL features a loaded holiday weekend slate as only three weeks remain in the regular season. Sunday’s action begins at 1:00 pm et with Lions-Vikings, Browns-Texans, and Colts-Falcons. The 4:00 pm ET window includes Jaguars-Buccaneers and Cardinals-Bears, while the Dolphins hosting the Cowboys highlights the afternoon. On Sunday night, the Patriots visit the Broncos on NFL Network. Monday’s Christmas Day action is a triple-header starting with Raiders-Chiefs at 1:00 pm ET on CBS. At 4:30 pm ET on Fox, the Giants take on the Eagles, and the 49ers host the Ravens at 8:15 pm ET on ABC. Beginning week 16, the Rams outlasted the Saints 30-22 on Thursday night. And on Saturday, the Steelers stomped the Bengals 34-11 and the Bills overcame the Chargers 24-22.
College Football Bowls: Bowl season continues to roll on in college football as seven games took place on Saturday. Among the notable matchups, - in the Las Vegas Bowl, and Air Force won the Armed Forces Bowl by beating James Madison 31-21. 19 more games are on tap for this coming week beginning on Tuesday, including three New Year’s Six games. On Friday night, #9 Missouri faces #7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at 8:00 pm et. Then on Saturday, the Peach Bowl at 12:00 pm ET features #11 Ole Miss and #10 Penn State, while #6 Georgia takes on #5 Florida State in the Orange Bowl at 4:00 pm ET. All three of those games will air on ESPN.
NBA Christmas Day: Christmas Day is one of the dates circled on every NBA fan’s calendar, and the association has five games on tap tomorrow. At 12:00 pm ET on Monday, the slate tips off with the Knicks hosting the Bucks. At 2:30 pm ET, the 2021 NBA champion Warriors take on last year’s champion Nuggets. Then at 5:00 pm ET, one of the league’s historic rivalries takes place as the Celtics, who currently have the best record in the NBA, face the Lakers. In primetime, the 79ers travel to Miami to take on the reigning Eastern Conference champion Heat at 8:00 pm ET, and the Mavericks-Suns matchup highlights the nightcap at 10:30 pm ET. All five games will air on ESPN, while Warriors-Nuggets and Celtics-Lakers will also air on ABC.
Florida State/ACC: The Florida State University Board of Trustees unanimously approved a lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday. Florida State’s lawsuit against the ACC challenges the conference’s grant of rights agreement that ties the school with the league until 2036, as well as the penalties the school would incur if it attempted to leave. The lawsuit claims the withdrawal fee is unenforceable, the league failed to create an appropriate media rights value and violated antitrust laws in Florida. On Thursday, the ACC filed a separate lawsuit against the school, saying FSU cannot challenge the grant of rights contract.
European Super League: The European Super League got a rare win last week in court. The European Court of Justice ruled that laws against the ESL by FIFA and UEFA, including needing approval to create the league and banning clubs and players from playing in the competition, were unlawful. However, UEFA also claimed victory after the ruling, saying that any potential new competition would be subject to an established framework outlined by the confederation. After the ruling, the Super League, led by Spanish clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, proposed a format for their competition. Yet many other top European clubs, including some who previously supported the ESL, announced they would side with UEFA.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, December 31, 2023.
