For the Fourth Consecutive Year, Senator Collins Ranked the Most Bipartisan Senator
Washington, D.C. - The Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy released the results of their “Bipartisan Index” today. For the fourth consecutive year, U.S. Senator Susan Collins ranked as the most bipartisan Senator.
“In today’s highly charged partisan atmosphere, it is more difficult than ever to find common ground,” said Senator Collins. “Given how divided our country has become, I feel a special obligation to try to find a path forward on the many contentious issues that we are facing. I am pleased that my work to bring people together and develop bipartisan solutions is reflected in this Bipartisan Index, and I appreciate the work the Lugar Center is doing to encourage bipartisan cooperation and civility in Congress.
“Senator Collins continues to set the gold standard for bipartisan productivity in the U.S. Congress,” said Senator Lugar. “Her leadership of the Bipartisan Index shows a deep devotion to working with both parties for the interests of Maine and our country.”
While many of the current measures for bipartisanship are based on voting records alone or are graded on partisan, parochial, or special-interest standards, the Bipartisan Index uses an objective formula to give each Member of Congress an overall score based equally on two things:
- The frequency with which a member sponsors bills co-sponsored by at least one member of the opposing party
- The frequency with which a member co-sponsors bills introduced by members of the opposite party
Senator Collins has long been recognized for her efforts to reach across the aisle and find consensus. Last year, Senator Collins received the inaugural Jacob Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership for her exemplary efforts to facilitate bipartisanship throughout her Senate service.
Today’s acknowledgement from the Lugar Center and Georgetown follows recent profiles about Senator Collins’ bipartisan leadership, including, “A Senator Listens to Voters’ Quiet Desperation” in the New York Times, “In Divided Senate, Maine's Susan Collins Emerges As Critical Voice” on NPR, and “Sen. Susan Collins, Armed for Compromise on Guns” in the Christian Science Monitor.
Overview of Bipartisan Index Methodology:
The Lugar Center and Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy’s Bipartisan Index is a non-partisan ranking of how often each Member of Congress works across party lines based on sponsorships and co-sponsorships of legislation.
Sponsorships and co-sponsorships are positions Senators carefully consider and often reflect their long-term priorities. The Index chose to measure this activity in order to focus the index on bipartisanship and cooperation, rather than where members sit on the ideological spectrum.
For a full description of the methodology behind the Bipartisan Index, please visit the Lugar Center’s website
