In a new study released by Georgetown University’s Lugar Center, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) ranked among the most bipartisan senators of the last quarter century. Grassley ranked number 14 of 250 senators who have served during the last 26 years in the United States Senate, putting him near the top five percent of senators since 1993. The high marks demonstrate Grassley’s bipartisan record has been consistent and long-running throughout his service on behalf of Iowans.
“I always try to find a Democrat to work with me when there’s a problem that needs solving. Iowans at my county meetings often ask me why politicians in Washington can’t just get along. I respond that bipartisanship does happen, it just doesn’t get enough attention. For example, every single bill that came out of the Judiciary Committee when I was chairman the last two Congresses was bipartisan. And this Congress, I’m working on bipartisan legislation to lower the price of prescription drugs, improve access to hospitals in rural America, reduce the cost of college and implement historic trade deals that will help American workers and create new jobs. I do my best to work with my colleagues to reach consensus, even when we disagree on other issues.”
The study was conducted by the Lugar Center, founded by the late U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. According to the study, “the non-partisan tool measures the degree to which senators work across party lines.”
“The new data provides historical context for the challenges to bipartisan collaboration in the Senate over the last twenty-six years,” said Lugar Center Executive Director John Lugar. “But it also shows that legislators can work to build consensus with members of the opposite party regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum.”
A review of Grassley’s bipartisan accomplishments in the previous Congress can be found here.
