By Sam Barron | Monday, December 29, 2025
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently criticized Congress’s 2025 accomplishments as “paltry,” arguing that legislative output should not be measured by the number of bills passed.
DeSantis, a Republican, responded to data showing the House and Senate signed fewer than 40 bills by December 22—a figure that set a modern record for the lowest legislative output in a new president’s first year. “Congress is apt to create more problems through legislation than it solves,” DeSantis stated. He added that the current Congress’s minimal activity was “noteworthy because so much meat is still left on the bone.”
DeSantis also condemned Congress for failing in its duty to protect the Constitution. Citing James Madison’s Federalist writings, he noted that in republican systems, “the legislative authority ‘necessarily predominates.’ But that presumed each branch would zealously guard its authority against encroachments by the other two.” He continued: “The modern Congress has failed to guard against encroachments, but it has also intentionally subcontracted out its core functions to the bureaucracy.”
Separately, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) described the legislative session as “one of the most productive first years of any Congress in our lifetimes,” highlighting 441 bills passed, 70 executive orders from President Donald Trump codified, and 23 Biden-era regulations repealed. Johnson emphasized that despite a slim majority and Democratic obstruction, “President Trump and Republicans have kept our promises, restored order and laid the groundwork for an extraordinary new year—from containing the border crisis and stabilizing inflation to securing historic tax, trade and peace deals.” He concluded: “Congress is content to be a mere observer of the constitutional system rather than a player inside of it.”
Sam Barron has covered politics, crime, and business for nearly two decades.
