Early in his congressional service he offered a bill to make the St. Lawrence River more navigable, which he pursued unsuccessfully for the rest of his days in Congress.

According to his biographer, Louis A. Barone, Snell, throughout his congressional career, generally opposed federal regulatory interference in the private sector and big spending programs.

When Nicholas Longworth ascended to the Speakership and John Q. Tilson became majority floor leader in 1925, they, along with Snell, effectively controlled in concert the House of Representatives.

Snell's first job as chairman of the Rules Committee was to fend off a challenge by insurgent Republicans and Democrats to ease restrictions on discharge petitions.

With Hoover's landslide defeat and the advent of the New Deal, Snell spent the rest of his days in Congress fighting the liberal programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

During the Court-packing battle of 1937, Snell agreed with Senate GOP leaders to allow the overwhelming Democratic majority to fight amongst themselves, which they did, sinking the plan.

After his retirement in 1939, he became publisher of the Potsdam Courier-Freeman, which he had bought five years earlier, and in 1941 became owner and manager of the New York State Oil Company, of Kansas.