Paul Tonko has developed a voice on Capitol Hill for environmental and science issues. He was a key player in congressional hearings over the threats and effects posed by certain chemicals and continues to be an advocate for action on climate change. Tonko is also known for working across the aisle with Republican colleagues. He successfully had one standalone bill signed into law updating the Communications Act of 1934 to include stiffer penalties for pirate radio broadcasters.

Statement by Matt Sonneborn, spokesman for Congressman Paul D. Tonko:

“Paul Tonko is a proven, effective, and deeply bipartisan legislator who has passed more than a dozen bills through the House this term and had several signed into law by President Trump, even in this historically divided Congress. He works harder to make good laws than he does to take credit for them, which is one of the reasons Republicans and Democrats continue to line up to work with him to pass good laws that make a real difference in the lives of the American people. 

Many of his acts of national leadership and service, and those of his New York colleagues from both parties, are obscured by Spectrum’s misleading metric, including Tonko’s work securing funding for the Erie Canalway and shepherding comprehensive PFAS protections and some of the most important climate legislation that has moved through Congress in a decade. Numerous members of the New York Delegation have raised these concerns with Spectrum on repeated occasions prior to publication. Reporting these discredited figures is a disservice to Spectrum’s audience and is disrespectful to the people of New York, who rightly seek news and information that leaves them better informed and in this case are being misled.”

Editor’s Response:

The numbers Matt Sonneborn refers to come directly from the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Library of Congress via www.Congress.gov. These numbers are publicly available for anyone to access at any time. As was made clear in the introductory text, these numbers measure standalone legislation as there is no readily accessible way to measure the more complicated legislative activity which Sonneborn is referring to. All delegation offices were asked to provide their own information showcasing a member’s activities if they so chose. Sonneborn has chosen to take advantage of that opportunity to display Rep. Tonko’s accomplishments and we are providing them below in their entirety in the interest of fairness and transparency.

We stand by our reporting and will continue to hold elected officials accountable on behalf of the viewers we serve.

Bill Number

Bill Title

Cosponsors

Bill Status

H.R.8390

AI Education Act

Bipartisan

Introduced

H.R.8348

New York-New Jersey Watersheds Protection Act

Bipartisan

Introduced

H.R.8232

BATTERY Act

Bipartisan

Sec. 5302 of H.R. 4447, passed House 9/24/20

H.R.7567

Helping Experts Accelerate Rare Treatments Act of 2020

Bipartisan

Introduced

H.R.7323

Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act of 2019

Bipartisan

Introduced

H.R.6645

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, to conduct or support research on the mental health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, and for other purposes.

Dem cosponsors

Section 30618 of H.R. 6800, passed House 5/15/20

H.R.5544

American Innovation and Manufacturing Leadership Act of 2020

Bipartisan

Secs. 9201-8 of H.R. 4447, passed House 9/24/20

H.R.5530

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Rebate Act of 2019

Tonko only

Sec. 6502 of H.R. 4447, passed House 9/24/20; Sec. 33332 of H.R. 2, passed House 7/1/20

H.R.5335

American Energy Opportunity Act of 2019

Bipartisan

Secs. 2301-4 of H.R. 4447, passed House 9/24/20

H.R.5263

Stopping Grinch Bots Act of 2019

Tonko only

Introduced

H.R.5057

Pass-Through Technical Corrections Act

Bipartisan

Sec. 107 of H.R. 1865, signed into law 12/20/19

H.R.4709

Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act

Bipartisan (98 cosponsors)

SEC. 4103 In H.R. 2

H.R.4708

SAFE Limos Act

Bipartisan (98 cosponsors)

SEC. 32006. of H.R. 2

H.R.4629

Star Rating for Biosimilars Act

Bipartisan

Sec. 812 of H.R. 3, passed House 12/12/19

H.R.3925

Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act

Bipartisan

Introduced

H.R.3609

Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2019

Bipartisan

Sec. 2521-6 of H.R. 4447, passed House 9/24/20

H.R.2659

To establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle and simple cycle power generation systems.

Bipartisan

Included in Sec. 3107 of H.R. 4447, passed House 9/24/20

H.R.2482

Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2019

Bipartisan (112 cosponsors)

Introduced

H.R.2288

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Reauthorization Act

Bipartisan

"Included in Sec. 113 in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020"

H.R.2041

Weatherization Enhancement and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act

Bipartisan

Secs. 1601-2 of H.R. 4447, passed House 9/24/20; Secs. 33231-2 of H.R. 2, passed House 7/1/20

H.R.1873

Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's

Bipartisan (235 cosponsors)

Introduced

H.R.1754

Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019

Bipartisan (260 cosponsors)

Passed House 09/29/2020

H.R.1709

Scientific Integrity Act

Bipartisan (232 cosponsors)

Secs. 12501-3 of H.R. 4447, passed House 9/24/20; Secs. 191601-4 of H.R. 6800, passed House 5/15/20

H.R.1329

Medicaid Reentry Act

Bipartisan

Sec. 30110 of H.R. 6800, passed House 5/15/20

H.R.1328

ACCESS BROADBAND Act

Bipartisan

Passed House as a standalone bill 5/9/19; Also in H.R. 2

H.R.1049

National Heritage Area Act of 2019

Bipartisan (221 cosponsors)

Passed out of Natural Resources committee on 1/29/2020

H.R.583

PIRATE Act

Bipartisan

Signed into law as a standalone bill 1/24/20

H.Res.263

Expressing support for designation of April 9, 2019, as National Yellow Ribbon Day

Bipartisan

Introduced

H.Amdt.854

Amendment to H.R.7608

Tonko only

Adopted by the House (233-176)

H.Amdt.735

Amendment to H.R. 535

Tonko only

Adopted by the House by voice vote

H.Amdt.712

Amendment to H.R. 3

Tonko only

Adopted by the House by voice vote

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.