The Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School unveiled the Bipartisan Index Rankings for Congress in 2021 for the first session of the 117th Congress, and for the third year in a row, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick was ranked the No. 1 most bipartisan member.
“Brian Fitzpatrick has set a bipartisan standard for the House that no other member is close to matching,” said Dan Diller, policy director of the Lugar Center. “His Bipartisan Index scores are so high, they almost have to be judged on their own scale. The Lugar Center applauds Rep. Fitzpatrick’s exceptional devotion to bipartisanship and his leadership on behalf of his constituents and the country.”
The Lugar Center and Georgetown University Bipartisan Index measures how often a member of Congress introduces bills that succeed in attracting co-sponsors from members of the other party, and how often they, in turn, co-sponsor a bill introduced from across the aisle. The Index is based on a formula applied uniformly to all members. The Index uses a historical standard based on 29 years of data to compare current members to historical averages. No subjective judgments are made about individual members or bills. The Index is intended to serve as a resource for voters and the media, and to encourage lawmakers to be more bipartisan when writing or co-sponsoring legislation.
“I am honored to once again be recognized by the Lugar Center. Hyper-partisanship is the single biggest threat facing our nation. Bipartisanship is the only remedy that will save and heal our nation,” Fitzpatrick said. “Which of these paths one chooses determines whether they desire to be part of the problem or part of the solution. If one chooses partisanship and condemns those who think differently, they are part of the problem. If one chooses bipartisanship and seeks to build bridges with those who think differently, they are part of the solution. I have chosen, and will continue to choose, the path of bipartisanship and problem solving because I love the United States of America, the greatest country on Earth.”
