Lawmakers Receptive to the Common Ground Scorecard
Common Ground Committee co-founder, Erik Olsen, journeyed to Washington, DC with a mission to reach out to legislators regarding the Common Ground Scorecard, a voting tool that measures how well an elected official seeks common ground. The Scorecard does not assess ideology or positions on specific issues.
Erik was met with a very receptive audience. While partisan gridlock may seem like the norm, many lawmakers and their staff agree that seeking common ground is the most effective and pragmatic approach to moving forward on critical issues facing the country, and are concerned that more of it is not happening. His meetings included sessions with the staff of members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, as well as Democratic, Republican and Independent staff members, representatives and senators of the following offices as follows:
- Rep. Colin Allred – D, Texas
- Rep. Bilirakis – R, Fla.
- Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. – R, Louisiana
- Emmanuel Cleaver – D, Missouri
- Rep. Angie Craig, D, Minn,
- Rep. Debbie Dingell – D, Mich.
- Rep. Dusty Johnson – R, S.D.
- Rep. Derek Kilmer, D, Wash.
- Rep Young Kim – R, Calif.
- Rep. Mike Lawler – R, NY
- Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Independent, Arizona,
- Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D VA, Representative
- Sen. Jon Tester – D, Mont.
- Rep. William Timmons – R, S.C.
The lawmakers expressed support and great interest for the Common Ground Scorecard. Erik notes, “The lawmakers I met with had great concern over polarization in Congress – in particular, the budget and potential for a government shut down this coming fall. The mood was noticeably less upbeat than on previous visits.”
Erik’s visit to the Hill was one of several Common Ground Committee initiatives to expand awareness of the Common Ground Scorecard and encourage elected officials to improve their scores and continue to seek common ground with their colleagues.
