Ciscomani, Stanton rank high for bipartisanship in latest index

United States Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) was ranked as the Arizona congressional delegation’s most bipartisan member according to the latest Lugar Center and Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Bipartisan Index (BPI).

The numbers: Ciscomani ranked 45 overall in the entire House with a .749, a few spots ahead of Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) who came in at 49 and earned a .623.

The method: The Bipartisan Index measures the frequency with which a member co-sponsors a bill introduced by the opposite party and the frequency with which a member’s own bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party.

A positive score (a score above 0.00) indicates that a member has scored better on the Bipartisan Index formula than the average score for members of their respective group during that 20-year baseline period.

The philosophy: Former Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), who died in 2019, said when the BPI was first introduced, “What we are measuring in this Index is not so much the quality of legislation but rather the efforts of legislators to broaden the appeal of their sponsored legislation, to entertain a wider range of ideas, and to prioritize governance over posturing.

“If a member is disappointed in his or her score, there is a straightforward way to improve it in future congresses: Put more effort into recruiting bipartisan co-sponsors for your bills and consider co-sponsoring bills introduced by the opposite party.”

*Rep. Juan Ciscomani speaks at the recent Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry Update from Capitol Hill luncheon.*

The reaction: “I’m so proud to have been ranked as the most bipartisan member from Arizona in the U.S. House by the Lugar Center,” Ciscomani said. “From the very beginning, my focus has been on delivering for our district, working to break through the gridlock in DC, and finding common ground.”

Working together: Ciscomani and Stanton have worked together to co-sponsor a bill to improve the information flow between the Department of Homeland Security and Congress to better inform lawmakers’ decision-making on border policy.

The pair in April led a delegation of Republican and Democratic members of Congress to Arizona’s southern border on a trip coordinated by the Bipartisan Policy Center’s American Congressional Exchange program.