Peterson ranks highest in bipartisanship in the House of Representatives

WASHINGTON – Congressman Collin C. Peterson had the highest bipartisan score within the House of Representatives in 2017, according to the Bipartisan Index (BPI) measured and administered by the Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.

The non-partisan analysis shows Peterson’s track record of consistently working across the aisle on a variety of issues important to his congressional district and to rural America.

“I am sent to DC to represent and work for all the people of Minnesota’s Seventh District,” Peterson said. “My job in Congress is to work with whomever I can to improve peoples’ lives. No one can do that by always voting the party line.”

The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University jointly released their new BPI rankings of members of Congress for 2017. The BPI is a non-partisan tool that measures the degree to which Senators and Representatives work across party lines on legislation.

The 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. No subjective judgments are made about individual members or bills. The Index serves as a critical resource for voters and the media and, its sponsors hope, encourages lawmakers to be more bipartisan when writing or co-sponsoring legislation.