WASHINGTON, D.C. (WV News) — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is ranked the sixth most bipartisan senator while Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., is ranked the 10th most bipartisan U.S. House member, according to the Lugar Center-McCourt School of Public Policy Index covering the 2019-2021 congressional session.
According to the index, “the non-partisan tool measures the degree to which senators and representatives work across party lines on legislation.”
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, is No. 26 in the Senate, while Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., is No. 288 in the House and Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., is No. 393.
In the Senate, 17 of the top 25 most bipartisan senators are Republicans, led by Susan Collins of Maine, who has been rated No. 1 for the past eight years, according to the index.
McKinley said he prides himself on representing West Virginians, not a political party.
“The people of the First District elected me to represent them in Washington, not a party. They want someone who can work across the aisle to achieve results, and that is how we have approached the job,” McKinley said.
“Our office has a long and consistent track record of working with members from both parties to find solutions to combat the opioid epidemic, lower prescription drug costs, spur job creation and economic development and other important issues,” McKinley said. “It’s an honor to be recognized for our efforts, and we look forward to continue working to deliver for the people of West Virginia.”
The index also noted that in the Senate, both Republican and Democratic senators scored above the historical average, with Republican senators holding a higher cumulative score than their Democratic counterparts.
Democrats outscored Republicans in the House, with both parties scoring only slightly above the historical norm.
“Although partisan combat between the parties and their leaderships reached a crescendo during the 116th Congress, individual members of Congress worked on legislation with their opposing party counterparts with surprising frequency,” said Lugar Center Policy Director Dan Diller. “The Bipartisan Index scores show that despite the embittered partisan climate, members still sought out bipartisan partnerships in the run-up to the 2020 election — usually below the radar of the national news cycle.”
The Bipartisan Index measures how often a member of Congress introduces bills that attract co-sponsors from the other party, and how often they in turn co-sponsor a bill introduced from across the aisle. The index excludes non-binding resolutions and ceremonial bills.
The index is “based on a formula that considers both the absolute numbers of bipartisan bills sponsored and co-sponsored and the percentage of such bills in a member’s portfolio. It also includes a metric that gives members credit for the number of bipartisan co-sponsors on their sponsored bills. The index uses a historical standard based on 28 years of data to compare current members to historical averages. No subjective judgments are made about individual members or bills.”
