Introducing: Spotlight on Common Ground
Polarization makes headlines. But what about the hard, yet hopeful work of finding shared solutions? We’re excited to introduce Spotlight on Common Ground, a new initiative that highlights instances of bipartisan cooperation across the nation, and the individuals who made them possible.
August Honorees: Infrastructure Bill Legislators
The first honorees of Spotlight on Common Ground are the 10 U.S. senators who helped craft the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed in the Senate 69-30. After months of negotiations this bipartisan group of senators — composed of five Democrats and Republicans — helped shepherd through a bill that could easily have been derailed given ideological differences and the forces driving the nation’s divided politics.
These legislators were among those included in our Common Ground Scorecard, which ranks candidates for office and elected officials on their likelihood to work with the opposite party. The 10 senators have an average score of 49/110, higher than the average score of 31/110 for all current U.S. senators.
Their individual scores are as follows:
- Susan Collins (R-ME): 60/110
- Rob Portman (R-OH): 50/110
- Mitt Romney (R-UT): 25/110
- Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): 50/110
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA): 59/110
- Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ): 57/110
- Joe Manchin (D-WV): 75/110 (15th highest in the country)
- Mark Warner (D-VA): 47/110
- Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): 34/110
- Jon Tester (D-MT): 42/110
“Too often, politicians are more focused on scoring political points than finding real solutions for the American people,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder and CEO of CGC. “These 10 senators reminded Americans what good can look like in the legislative process. We’re hopeful the Senate’s passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act can be a foundation for future cooperation between the two parties.”
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