By Michael Teitelbaum

To most Americans, they don’t look very busy. In fact, recent polls put their job performance rating at close to an all-time low.

But the reality — at least in the House — is that federal lawmakers have held more votes on legislation and other matters in the first six months of this year than they did during the entire 2006 session of the Republican-controlled 109th Congress. That was when GOP leaders decided to defer action to the 110th Congress, now controlled by Democrats, on most of the 2006 spending measures.

The House has held 600 roll call votes and six quorum calls so far this year, which puts the chamber well on its way to surpassing the 867 votes and 18 quorum calls Republicans held in 1995 after they assumed control of the House for the first time in 40 years.

Drew Hammill, spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the reason for the high vote totals is simple: Democrats “are delivering on our promises” to be in session more this year.

But there’s another reason: Republicans are trying to slow things down by offering more amendments that require votes.

The Senate, meanwhile, has held about 240 votes this year. That number, combined with the House figure, puts Congress on track to break the all-time record for combined voting — 1,480 — set in 1995 when Republicans controlled both chambers.

epublicans are trying to slow things down by offering more amendments that require votes.