It doesn’t matter how many hours Congress is in session. Its problems are deeper.
But would more hours in session yield a more productive Congress? One big problem with that theory is that, going back to 1973, there has been no meaningful change in the number of hours Congress is in session. The below graph comes from a new R Street Institute analysis, “Are Long Weekends Reducing Congress’ Productivity?” by Casey Burgat and Charles Hunt. They looked at the hours both chambers spent in session, going back to the 93rd Congress (1973-1974). The trend line is basically flat.
