Do The 'Do Nothing Democrats' Live Up To Their President Trump-Given Nickname?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- One week from Wednesday, House Democrats will hold their first public hearings in the impeachment inquiry.
They accuse President Donald Trump of pressuring Ukraine for his own political gain.
The president calls them "Do Nothing Democrats," but is that true?
President Trump is putting the heat on Democrats as he feels the heat from possible impeachment. He is accusing Democrats of doing nothing but trying to remove him from office.
But it's not true. According to Congressional bill tracking services, the Democrat-controlled House has passed 522 bills and resolutions since January. They include:
- Election protections.
- Citizenship for "Dreamers."
- Background checks for gun purchases.
- LGBTQ rights.
- Climate change.
- Prescription drugs.
- Pre-existing conditions.
All of those bills went to the Senate -- to die. Don't take our word for it. That's according to Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who calls himself "The Grim Reaper."
"I understand my sin is that I've been stopping left-wing agenda items coming out of the House," McConnell said.
President Trump isn't the first president to campaign against what he calls a "Do Nothing Congress." It's a rich White House tradition, beginning with Democratic President Harry Truman. He faced long re-election odds in 1948. His strategy: Run against the "Do Nothing" Republican Congress. That 1948 Congress passed 906 bills.
In 2019, it's a much different story. Republicans and Democrats rarely work together, passing only 46 bills -- naming post offices, commemorative coins and local bridges.
Only 25% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing.
Here are some of the sources we used for this Reality Check:
CBS News: McConnell Vows To Be "Grim Reaper"
Trump, Clinton, Nixon Impeachment
Gallup: Congress Approval Ratings
President Truman 1948 Convention Speech
