WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley ranks fifth in the Senate in a new bipartisan index of how much senators work across party lines on bill sponsorship and co-sponsorship. The rankings for 2015 are from the Lugar Center, led by former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.
“Controversy gets headlines, and partisan controversy gets even more headlines,” Grassley said. “What people often don’t see is that a lot gets done, and a lot of it goes unnoticed, on a bipartisan basis. There are health care bills, tax bills, Judiciary Committee measures, and oversight and investigative projects that are all done with bipartisan support. Common ground can be found that makes a difference for Americans working hard to raise a family, build a business and live in safe and secure communities.”
Lugar said, “Lawmakers with strong ideological views can still find common ground with members across the aisle if they make an effort to do so. Some members of Congress have embraced this challenge, despite the intensely partisan political culture exemplified in the national presidential campaigns.”
The Judiciary Committee, which Grassley leads, has reported 21 bills out of the committee this Congress. All have been bipartisan. In addition, five bills under the jurisdiction of the committee have already been signed into law. One of the bills that cleared the committee on a strong, bipartisan 15-5 vote was the biggest criminal justice reform package in a generation. Grassley continues to work with Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin to fine-tune the bill in anticipation of consideration by the full Senate.
Grassley shepherded the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act through the committee, where it passed unanimously, and led the debate on the Senate floor. The bill was signed into law on May 29, 2015. The law establishes strong measures that target predators who traffic innocent young people, helps survivors of trafficking heal, and protects others from becoming victims of such a terrible crime.
As chairman of the Finance Committee, Grassley led through Congress $2 trillion in bipartisan tax relief, leaving more money in workers’ pockets, making the tax code more progressive, and spurring economic growth and activity. Grassley led the enactment of bipartisan bills bringing a prescription drug benefit to Medicare and allowing families who have children with multiple medical needs to buy into Medicaid while continuing to work.
On a bipartisan, bicameral measure, Grassley is the Senate author with then-Rep. Howard Berman of the 1986 amendments to the False Claims Act. The amendments encourage whistleblowers to come forward with information involving fraud against the government. Since the reforms were enacted, the government has recouped more than $48.2 billion that otherwise would have been lost to fraud. Many of the recoveries were initiated by whistleblowers who took advantage of the provisions allowing them to bring cases.
Grassley is the author of the bipartisan Congressional Accountability Act, signed into law in 1995. This law guaranteed the same rights for congressional employees as private sector employees and ensured that members of Congress feel the impact of laws applied to private sector employers and small business owners across the country. The law brought Congress under major laws that address wage and hour questions, occupational safety and health issues.
The 2015 bipartisan index ranking is available here. Grassley ranks no. 12 in lifetime scores for senators from 1993 to 2014, available here.
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