Ezra Klein: “What’s the record of the 112th Congress? Well, it almost shut down the government and almost breached the debt ceiling. It almost went over the fiscal cliff (which it had designed in the first place). It cut a trillion dollars of discretionary spending in the Budget Control Act and scheduled another trillion in spending cuts through an automatic sequester, which everyone agrees is terrible policy. It achieved nothing of note on housing, energy, stimulus, immigration, guns, tax reform, infrastructure, climate change or, really, anything. It’s hard to identify a single significant problem that existed prior to the 112th Congress that was in any way improved by its two years of rule.”

The Hill: “New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a joint statement saying it was ‘inexcusable’ that the House wasn’t voting on a bill. The Senate has already approved a bill providing the states hit by Sandy with $60.4 billion. Just before noon, the White House weighed in with a statement from President Obama… In response to the pressure, Boehner will meet Wednesday afternoon with GOP lawmakers from the effected states.”

Said Obama: “When tragedy strikes, Americans come together to support those in need. I urge Republicans in the House of Representatives to do the same, bring this important request to a vote today, and pass it without delay for our fellow Americans.”

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) “went to war with his Republican colleagues on Wednesday after leaders spiked a Hurricane Sandy relief bill, calling on New Yorkers to stop all donations to GOP House members,” Politico reports.

Said King: “These Republicans have no problem finding New York when they’re out raising millions of dollars. They’re in New York all the time filling their pockets with money from New Yorkers. I’m saying right now, anyone from New York or New Jersey who contributes one penny to congressional Republicans is out of their minds. Because what they did last night was put a knife in the back of New Yorkers and New Jerseyans. It was an absolute disgrace.”

He added: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m on my own. They’re going to have to go a long way to get my vote on anything.”

Breitbart News claims at least 20 House Republicans have banded together in an effort to unseat House Speaker John Boehner from his position when it comes up for a vote tomorrow.

Joshua Spivak: “Boehner will probably be burning up the phone lines this weekend, as he works to solidify the votes for his re-election as speaker. Despite his recent legislative failure and his perceived shaky hold over his caucus, Boehner seems to be in a strong position to retain his job. But, if he’s thinking at all about history, he would be right to take any ouster attempt seriously.”

“House Republicans abruptly pulled the plug Tuesday night on their promise to take up this week an emergency supplemental disaster aid bill for Northeast states damaged by Hurricane Sandy,” Politico reports.

“The decision is a stunning reversal since just hours before New Jersey lawmakers were preparing for floor debate Wednesday as outlined under a strategy promoted by no less than Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) … Absent a change of heart, the upshot now is that the Senate bill will die with this Congress on Thursday at noon. And the whole affair is sure to bring back memories of the famous Daily News headline in 1975 — Ford to City: Drop Dead.”

Most interesting: Democratic and Republican members from states affected by the storm took to the floor late Tuesday after the fiscal cliff vote to protest the decision, urging the leadership to reconsider. When a motion to adjourn for the night was put forth, the nos far outnumbered the ayes, but the presiding member adjourned anyway.

First Read: “Regardless of what happens today, the 112th Congress is going to wind up as the least popular and least productive Congress (in terms of legislation becoming law) in the modern era. For starters, Congress’ approval rating the last time the NBC/WSJ poll measured it (in August 2012) was just 12%, and a whopping 82% disapproved of Congress — the highest percentage in the history of our NBC/WSJ poll. In addition, just 219 bills have been passed into law — the lowest number since Congress began tracking this number in the 1940s. (And many of these bills were naming courthouses or post offices.) The previous low was 333 in the 104th Congress (1995-1996).”

“Throughout its history, of course, Congress has always been a dysfunctional place; in fact, the Founding Fathers ensured it that way (with the federal government’s checks and balances). But this particular Congress, which comes to an end on Jan. 3, has been uniquely dysfunctional. Just consider: the current fiscal-cliff debate, the debt-ceiling standoff of 2011 that resulted in an S&P credit downgrade, the Super Committee’s failure, the near government shutdown in the spring of 2011, the defeat of the U.N. Disabilities treaty, etc. With the debt ceiling, the fiscal cliff, and the near government shutdown, it’s hard not to conclude that Congress has been an active player in the sluggishness of the U.S. economy.”

Huffington Post: “As 2012 comes to a close, the 112th Congress is set to go down in American history as the most unproductive session since the 1940s… Obama has signed 219 bills passed by the 112th Congress into law. With less than a week to go in the year, there are currently another 20 bills pending presidential action. In comparison, the last Congress passed 383 bills, while the one before it passed 460.”

“The 104th Congress (1995-1996) currently holds the ignominious distinction of being the least productive session of Congress … Just 333 bills became law during that two-year period, meaning the 112th Congress needs to send nearly 100 more bills to Obama’s desk in the next few days if it wants to avoid going down in history — an unlikely prospect, considering that both chambers are squarely focused on averting the ‘fiscal cliff’ before the new year.”

Harry Enten looks at statistics that rank members of Congress on a scale from -1 for most liberal to 1 for most conservative and finds Senate and House Democrats have been fairly stable at -0.4 since 1992.

“There has, however, been an increase in partisanship in the House, and it truly is ‘asymmetrical’. The Republican House caucus has been becoming more conservative every year since 1977, whether or not House Republicans are winning or losing elections. Republicans have climbed from 0.4 on the DW nominate scales after the 1992 elections to near 0.7 in the last congress. That type of charge towards polarization is historically unusual over data that stretches back 130 years.”

Likewise, Senate Republicans “have slowly and become more conservative in their roll call votes by moving from about 0.3 to 0.5 on the scale.”

“I couldn’t believe the kind of people who had come and taken power. Many of them had never had any government experience. They had no respect as it were for government per se. I mean, I don’t know why you run for government office with the intent to close up government.”

— Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), quoted by Southern California Public Radio, on leaving Congress to become Mayor of San Diego.

“I look forward to a situation where when the phone rings, I won’t be apprehensive that it’s some problem I have to deal with: some crisis — maybe that somebody else has done something stupid that I have to deal with, or in the worst case, something stupid I’ve done that I have to deal with.”

— Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), quoted by Politico, on his retirement from Congress.

Norm Ornstein notes that ff 17 Republicans vote for someone other than John Boehner as speaker, “the House will be thrown into turmoil — no elected speaker, and the prospect of additional ballots and a whole lot of intrigue before the new speaker is chosen and sworn in.”

“What if Boehner doesn’t survive? Go to Article I, Section 2: The Constitution does not say that the speaker of the House has to be a member of the House. In fact, the House can choose anybody a majority wants to fill the post. Every speaker has been a representative from the majority party. But these days, the old pattern clearly is not working.”

Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) earned the distinction of being the oldest lawmaker to ever serve in the House of Representatives, ABC Radio reports.

Hall eclipsed the record previously held by Rep. Charles Manley Stedman, who was also 89 when he died in September 1930.

“Several conservative House Republican members are contemplating a plan to unseat Speaker John Boehner from his position on January 3,” Breitbart News reports.

“Staffers have compiled a detailed action plan that, if executed, could make this a reality… Dissatisfaction with Boehner is growing in the House Republican conference, but until now there hasn’t been a clear path forward.”

Fox News: A look at Boehner’s future as House leader.

Steve Kornacki: “Last night was hardly the first public humiliation that John Boehner has suffered at the hands of his fellow Republicans, but it’s probably the most stark. And it raises some very basic questions about the House speaker’s political future – like whether he even has one.”

“The demise of Plan B also calls Boehner’s job security into question. The Obama-era conservative base has never trusted him; he’s been in Washington too long, he cut too many pre-2008 deals with Democrats, and he voted for too much spending. Since he claimed the speaker’s gavel, they’ve been watching him like a hawk for any sign he’s about to sell them out, virtually eliminating his ability to cut deals on their behalf. What happened last night indicates that this dynamic hasn’t changed since the election, and with the January 3 vote for speaker coming up, there is some chatter now that House conservatives might attempt to dethrone Boehner.”

First Read notes “it seems to us that the only person who’s capable of toppling Boehner
right now is Paul Ryan. But does he — or anyone else — want that job?”

“What I won’t miss are the 20 people in their pajamas who go on Cleveland.com anonymously and feel that the world is just dying for their snarky, stupid comments.”

— Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) telling Cleveland.com what he won’t miss when he retires from the House of Representatives in January.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said he’s “not concerned about his job as Speaker as he seeks a deficit deal with President Obama that could face opposition from conservative members of his conference,” The Hill reports.

Said Boehner: “I’m not concerned about my job as Speaker. What I’m concerned about is doing the right thing for our kids and grandkids. And if we don’t fix this spending problem, their future is going to be rather bleak.”

There’s been speculation in recent days that Boehner won’t cut a deal until after he wins re-election as Speaker in early January.

Wall Street Journal: “The unruly freshman class of 2010 has thwarted Mr. Boehner numerous times during his two years as speaker. To bolster his position, Mr. Boehner has been slowly bringing Republican freshmen to his side by introducing them to the realities of legislating and congressional leadership. Mr. Boehner’s strategy, and his future as speaker, will get tested between now and year-end as Washington wrestles with negotiations designed to avert tax increases and spending cuts due to begin in early January.”

“Boehner has used both carrot and stick to unify his ranks, lawmakers said. Rep. Steve Southerland, a voluble freshman, got a job managing a transportation bill. Three freshmen who continued to defy the House leadership on key votes got booted from plum committees. Others learned the limits of their power by watching bills the House passed disappear in the Senate.”

“Boehner mended fences with his No. 2, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), after the two repeatedly clashed over various budget negotiations, aides to both men said. He has made an overt effort to cultivate Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House budget committee and Mitt Romney’s running mate. Mr. Ryan didn’t embrace Mr. Boehner’s efforts to negotiate a deficit deal in 2011. This year, he is sitting in on Mr. Boehner’s daily strategy session and has endorsed the speaker’s plan to raise fresh tax revenue.”

Should a deal to avert the fiscal cliff “go sour,” National Review reports the buzz is that Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) may challenge House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) for the speaker’s gavel.

Said one aide close to the House leadership: “Price is the person we’re all watching. We know he’s frustrated, but we don’t know much else.”