* What does Dave Weigel always say on Twitter? Folks…
U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) has again been ranked as the most bipartisan member of Congress from Illinois and the 14th most bipartisan nationwide, according to The Lugar Center & Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy’s Bipartisan Index. This Bipartisan Index ranking is out of 437 members, including the two non-voting delegates from Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, of the 116th Congress.
“Making Washington work for the people of Illinois has always been my top priority, and I will work with anyone, Democrat or Republican, to get it done,” said Rep. Davis. “In the 116th Congress, we worked together to pass several bipartisan COVID-19 relief bills that helped turn our economy around and make critical investments in our nation’s public health, particularly through vaccine production and distribution. Now that Democrats control both Congress and the White House, we can’t let the far left fringes of their party set the course for our nation’s government and keep us from working together. Although the President has yet to follow through on his commitment to work in a bipartisan way, I stand ready to work with the President or anyone on areas where we can find agreement.”
According to former Senator Richard Lugar, founder of The Lugar Center, “The Bipartisan Index is intended to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of Members of Congress. There are innumerable studies, rankings, and indexes that grade members according to a partisan, parochial, or special-interest standard.
“We sought to develop an objective measure of how well members of opposite parties work with one another using bill sponsorship and co-sponsorship data. We gravitated toward bill sponsorships and co-sponsorships for two reasons. First, they allowed us to construct a highly objective measure of partisan and bipartisan behavior. Second, sponsorship and co-sponsorship behavior is especially revealing of partisan tendencies. Members’ voting decisions are often contextual and can be influenced by parliamentary circumstances. Sponsorships and co-sponsorships, in contrast, exist as very carefully considered declarations of where a legislator stands on an issue.
“The Bipartisan Index measures the frequency with which a Member co-sponsors a bill introduced by the opposite party and the frequency with which a Member’s own bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party.”
The Bipartisan Index from The Lugar Center & McCourt School of Public Policy is a non-partisan ranking of how often each Member of Congress works across party lines.
More here.
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:08 pm:
Yea, I guess I’m not fully buying it when he can’t even recognize this without taking a dig at the Democratic Party and setting them up for a guilt trip PR strategy if they ever reach out to him.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:09 pm:
Was this title formerly held by Dan Lipinski?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:09 pm:
===formerly held by Dan Lipinski? ===
Ranked 107th https://www.thelugarcenter.org/assets/htmldocuments/116%20BPI%20House.pdf
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:10 pm:
When it mattered most…
Rodney Davis twice refused to impeach President Trump, including after Trump incited an insurrection on the Capitol and threatened our democracy.
Being bipartisan does not absolve adding or abetting someone who incited an insurrection and refused to hold that person accountable.
“Other than that”…
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:10 pm:
Seems like a model for an effective Republican Congressman.
A moderate who actually works across party lines to solve the countries problems and represent his constituents.
Instead he is called a racist, white supremacist by the usual suspects
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:12 pm:
Rodney “89% Trump” Davis. Anyone can be bipartisan based on co-sponsors. It’s the votes that matter. And Davis is a Trumper 89% of the votes.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/rodney-davis/
- tdavs1 - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:12 pm:
Do they track sucess of the bills cuz they measure by how often bills are cosponsored by opposite party? How bipartisan is he with his votes? Wouldn’t this help him out in his potential governor’s bid? Seems like it would be a double edged sword for him depending on what election he’s gonna run in.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:15 pm:
All things being “equal”;
Adam Kinzinger acknowledged, and still acknowledges the severe and real damage Trump did to the United States and democracy… Rodney Davis refused to hold Trump responsible.
All things be equal and such.
Partisan and Party… over democracy…
It’s a nice lil blurb for Davis, sure.
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:19 pm:
These are odd rankings. Trump’s girl Stefanik is ranked right ahead of Rodney at #13.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:23 pm:
==A moderate who actually works across party lines to solve the countries problems==
While I’m glad to see that the latest software patch has updated from Rauner to Davis, I’m compelled to ask what problems Davis has actually solved, or indeed what he has accomplished at all in 8 years in Congress.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:25 pm:
=== Instead he is called a racist, white supremacist by the usual suspects===
Are trying to make Rodney Davis… a victim?
Davis supported and refused to impeach a President who incited an insurrection… and Davis is the victim to you?
Well, you being a Trump supporter, that checks out.
- Nick - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:26 pm:
Sure okay
- Twotree - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:26 pm:
Durbin has had the opportunity to vote for 4 different Republican nominated US Supreme Court Justices and every time found a way to vote NO.
- truthteller - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:27 pm:
all a bunch of crap. Davis is nothing but a partisan hack, hell a pure example of white privilege who has never worked a REAL Job
- Cool Papa Bell - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:29 pm:
Dunno - nothing strikes me as bipartisan here. I think a new measuring stick needs to be used.
Basically this - if you vote with the most partisan President in history at 89% then you aren’t bi-partisan. Wouldn’t that number be closer to 60/40….
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:30 pm:
You have got to be kidding me[banned exclamation point]
I guess it depends on one’s definition of bipartisanship. Davis doesn’t fit In mine.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:31 pm:
==Durbin has had the opportunity to vote for 4 different Republican nominated US Supreme Court Justices and every time found a way to vote NO. ==
It helps that they were all crap nominees and became crap Justices.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:33 pm:
==Dunno - nothing strikes me as bipartisan here. I think a new measuring stick needs to be used. ==
I sorta get what the Lugar Center is trying to do. It’s not an easy thing to measure, and co-sponsoring bills is at least a concrete, objective measure. But it doesn’t really tell you very much at all.
- Manchester - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:33 pm:
I agree that Davis is nothing but a partisan hack. Also, Good votes from Durbin on those US Supreme Court Justices.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:35 pm:
Rodney Davis can be “seen” as bipartisan, but the “Kung Flu” purveyor of word choices, Davis is far from someone even keel when choosing racist verbiage.
- Shield - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:37 pm:
==Durbin has had the opportunity to vote for 4 different Republican nominated US Supreme Court Justices and every time found a way to vote NO.==
Learn to count.
- Twotree - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:48 pm:
My bad Shield. Missed Gorsech so it’s worse. 5 justices all no votes. Apologize.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:53 pm:
- Twotree -
Worry not, you can vote against Durbin in 5 years.
Lemme guess, you feel Barrett’s vote was ok but not having a vote for Garland is ok too…
To bring it back to Davis;
If you Trumpkins are all angry at Kinzinger, but you see Davis as “a friendly bipartisan”, aren’t you saying being against Trump is a non-starter… and who voted with Trump more often of the two?
What’s next, a trip to Mar-a-Largo and a photo op for Rodney?
If not, why not?
- Twotree - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 2:57 pm:
Not at all OW. I vote for plenty of Dems. But if we are gonna slam Rodney let’s take a look at others. I don’t tell people they don’t know how to count—Shield—am very respectful of others points on view.
I think Rich provides a valuable platform here for all of us. So don’t tell me what I think or that Durbin is up in 5 years. I am aware.
But oh for 5? Not one?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:03 pm:
===I vote for plenty of Dems===
Did you vote for Durbin or Curran?
Boy, that’d be telling.
Oh, you brought up all this foolishness about Durbin, if you don’t want questions about yourself to that, then don’t drive by with silly.
Be well.
- Abu Iskandr - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:05 pm:
According to his DW-NOMINATE scores, US Rep Rodney Davis agrees with his fellow House Republicans 91% of the time (By comparison, the median US House Republican agrees with their caucus 96% of the time.) Rep. Katko (NY) agrees with his party 81% of the time.
There are also 11 other House Republicans who have lower relative partisan scores (measuring and scoring relative ideological voting patterns)–including Reps. Meijer (MI), Stefanik (NY), Bost and Kinzinger (IL).
https://www.voteview.com/person/21328/rodney-davis
“You are what your record says you are.”
–Duane Charles “Bill” Parcells
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:07 pm:
=== But if we are gonna slam Rodney let’s take a look at others.===
Shorter;
“Whataboutism” is lazy, then saying you don’t like to be called on it is lazy squared.
To Davis,
If Davis “is running”… does that mean Davis is not only scared of… Mary Miller… Davis is scared he’d *lose* to Mary Miller?
So being bipartisan in a race against Mary Miller is a losing tact?
Huh.
- Chuck Button - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:09 pm:
Like virtually all members of Congress, Davis is a very committed partisan. He was at one time the Director of The Illinois Republican Party, wasn’t he?
- Jibba - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:19 pm:
The fact that someone votes with their party 91% of the time, and that passes for very bipartisan, is quite telling about Washington. And his dig at the Dems while talking up his bipartisanship is the kind of maddening hypocrisy that his constituents have had to put up with for years. I’d almost rather have Miller. At least she doesn’t hide who she is.
- SpiDem - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:22 pm:
I’m sorry I’m late to commenting on this post, but my eyes rolled so far back into my head that I passed out.
- Downstate - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:34 pm:
I’m sure Rodney can’t wait to be drawn into a less competitive seat so he can finally vote the way he’d really like to and stop trying so hard to be “bipartisan.” I think if he’s drawn in with Bost, he tries for Gov. If he’s drawn with Miller, he runs for re-election and cuts hard to his right, where he’s always been privately anyway.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:37 pm:
Pretty sure the competition had a lot to do with that.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 3:50 pm:
There was nothing bipartisan about Davis’ tantrum about security measures at the US Capitol after Jan 6. That really showed his true colors. https://illinoisnewsroom.org/rodney-davis-among-republicans-lashing-out-against-new-security-measures-at-the-capitol/
- d. p. gumby - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 4:00 pm:
Isn’t that a pretty low bar nowadays?
- Don't Bloc Me In - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 4:05 pm:
Rodney Davis? Really?
Congress is very partisan at this time. To be able to name Davis the “most bipartisan” takes some fine hair splitting. If the Lugar Center were sincere, it would announce that no one qualified.
- Cheswick - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 4:13 pm:
Whoever put this ranking together has not read Rodney’s weekly constituent email newsletter. It is a severely partisan bunch of words.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 4:36 pm:
Sounds like the kind of messaging that loses to Darren Bailey in an ILGOP primary.
With Trump stirring stuff up again against fellow Republicans for failing to overturn the election in his favor and Mitch McConnell defending himself from Trump attacks by saying he is 100% focused on stopping Biden just who is the audience for this press release touting bipartisanship by a Republican?
- OurMagician - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 5:00 pm:
Rodney needs to work on reaching across the aisle to fund the remaining month of SBA PPP loans then. Don’t extend to May 31st just to reallocate the money.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 5:16 pm:
If every other Illinois Republican is shooting spitballs across the isle, I guess if Davis’ mean stare qualifies as partisan lol.
- SIU - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 5:51 pm:
Rodney’s going to give the Big Boy a run for his Billions
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 6:06 pm:
=== Rodney’s going to give the Big Boy a run for his Billions===
Of which, will Davis have $100 million to compete?
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 6:41 pm:
This is a pretty silly metric to still be tracking which ignores how far the GOP has shifted towards fascism.
- Abu Iskandr - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 5:12 pm:
This your “bipartisan” king? Soliciting support to complain against a Member who simply quotes Republican words back at them?
“… The Republican ranking member on the Committee on House Administration, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), solicited such complaints. As his staff wrote in a “Dear Colleagues” letter that apparently was inadvertently released publicly: “If any Member feels strongly that they want to take action against the report and wants to know more about the process for filing a complaint with the Communications Standards Commission please reach out to … schedule a time for a call with our team.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/06/rep-zoe-lofgren-embarrassed-republicans-with-their-own-words-now-they-seek-silence-her/
“You are what your record says you are.”
–Duane Charles “Bill” Parcells