As tenures of members of Congress have steadily increased, the productivity of Congress has steadily decreased. On average, Representatives have served over ten years (5+ terms in office), and Senators have served more than 13 years (well into a 3rd term). The current 112th Congress has passed only 219 bills into law, making this by far the least productive Congress in history. This is mainly because seeking compromise across the aisle limits chances that a member of Congress will be reelected. Over time, less and less compromise occurs as members of Congress work more toward being reelected than doing the business of the American people. The only long term solution is to limit the number of terms a member of Congress can serve, in keeping with the original intent of the Constitution.



