John Katko is known on Capitol Hill for being a moderate Republican with a reputation for bipartisanship. His voting record is indicative of a Republican who isn’t afraid to buck his own party. Katko introduced a number of standalone bills this Congress and successfully had five of them passed through the Democrat-controlled House. Katko is a vocal presence on homeland security, agriculture, and transportation issues.
Editor's Note: The following statements and assertions are those of a political candidate and/or congressional office. Any statistics, data, or other information contained therein has not been independently verified or checked for accuracy as part of this project.
Statement from Rep. John Katko;
“I am proud to be ranked the 2nd most bipartisan member in all of Congress by Georgetown University and the nonpartisan Lugar Center. By working across the aisle in Congress, I’ve had over 35 bills pass the House, with several signed into law under Presidents from both parties. Especially during the pandemic, this approach to governing has been critical. Working in a bipartisan manner to pass COVID-19 relief legislation, I helped deliver PPE, testing, and direct relief for local hospitals, small businesses, and working families. Moving forward, I’ll continue working with Republicans and Democrats to get results for Central New York during this pandemic and beyond.”
What the rankings mean:
Number of bills sponsored:
This metric measures the number of unique bills put forward by a Representative or a Senator. A Resolution usually expresses an opinion or addresses procedure in the House or Senate and doesn’t go to the President. An Amendment is a change to the language of legislation. Everything has to be voted on.
Number of bills passed out of one chamber:
Getting a bill passed through a chamber is tough. In order to pass a bill out of a chamber, a member of Congress must build consensus among his or her colleagues.
Number of bills signed into law:
If a bill from an opposite party is signed into law by a President, the achievement is a significant victory for that Member of Congress if the bill is significant. Many non-controversial bills are signed into law as a matter of routine.
Percentage a member votes with his or her party:
Source: ProPublica. Procedural votes count toward this score and it isn’t entirely indicative of a member’s loyalty, or disloyalty, to the party.
Lugar Center Bipartisan Index Score:
The Bipartisan Index is a joint project of The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. Scores above 1.0 are outstanding. Scores above .5 are very good. Scores below -.5 are poor. Scores below -1.0 are very poor.