For the 9th Time in 11 years, Senator Collins Ranked Most Bipartisan U.S. Senator
Washington, D.C. - A study released today by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University ranked U.S. Senator Susan Collins as the most bipartisan Senator for the 9th time in 11 years. Click here to see the full rankings.
“Since the founding of the Bipartisan Index, no member of Congress has been more consistently faithful to the principles of bipartisanship than Senator Collins,” said Dan Diller, Policy Director of the Lugar Center. “She has topped the Senate Bipartisan Index rankings in 9 of the last 11 years, and she ranked first or second in the Senate for 13 straight years. Her top spot in the Senate Bipartisan Index in 2023 underscores her continuing devotion to good governance and her commitment to working across the aisle on behalf of her state and the country.”
“I have long believed that Congress produces the best legislation when it engages in honest debate, considers alternate viewpoints, and incorporates ideas from both Republicans and Democrats,” said Senator Collins. “I commend the Lugar Center’s ongoing work to encourage civility in Congress, and I will continue my efforts to bring people together to address the challenges facing Maine and America.”
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.
Although most grading systems of Members of Congress are based on partisan, parochial, or special-interest standards, the Bipartisan Index uses an objective formula to give each Member an overall score based on two major criteria:
- 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
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.
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