By Stacy M. Brown, BlackPressUSA.com, Senior National Correspondent
Despite partisan turmoil and leadership breakdowns that left the U.S. House barely functioning at times, a new report finds that many lawmakers—Democrats and Republicans alike—found ways to advance legislation effectively in the 118th Congress. In its 5th biennial report, the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) identified the most effective senators and representatives using 15 data-driven metrics, including the extent to which their sponsored bills advanced, the number of bills that became law, and the significance of the legislation. The report shows that several top performers excelled even during deep procedural disruptions in 2023 and 2024 and a public perception of gridlock. Researchers found that women lawmakers in the House minority and senators up for re-election emerged as some of the most effective legislators in their chambers. First-term performance also proved predictive—those who excelled in their freshman term often continued to outperform expectations in subsequent sessions.
The CEL, a nonpartisan partnership between Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia’s Batten School, found that effectiveness didn’t hinge on party control or ideological stance. “Over a two-year period when party conflicts outside of Washington, D.C., spilled over into the House and Senate, and when the House struggled to conduct its day-to-day business due to leadership challenges, numerous legislators in both parties-several of whom we have identified in previous CEL reports—continued to engage with the hard work of lawmaking and successfully advance their sponsored bills through the legislative process to enact new public policies,” said Alan Wiseman, a professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt and co-director of the CEL. “Effective lawmaking takes hard work, policy expertise, and a willingness to seek out coalition partners, often across party lines,” added Craig Volden, professor of public policy and politics at UVA Batten and CEL co-director. “The legislators featured in our report and highlighted as top performers found ways to address public policy needs during difficult circumstances. Their work is to be commended.”
CEL also noted a shift in power dynamics. The influence of committees—once a central force in shaping policy—continues to decline as authority becomes more centralized in the hands of majority-party leadership. Researchers warn that this results in a diminished focus on policy expertise and a weakened legislative process.
Still, several lawmakers managed to rise above these structural challenges. Among the most effective:
Top Senate Democrats:
Sen. Gary Peters (MI)
Sen. Alex Padilla (CA)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Top Senate Republicans:
Sen. John Cornyn (TX)
Sen. Marco Rubio (FL)
Sen. Ted Cruz (TX)
Top House Democrats:
Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-2)
Rep. Dina Titus (NV-1)
Top House Republicans:
Rep. Sam Graves (MO-6)
Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2)
Rep. Tom Cole (OK-4)
Legislators who exceeded expectations—defined by CEL as outperforming their benchmark Legislative Effectiveness Scores by 50% or more—include Del. Eleanor Norton (D-DC), the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), each with the longest-standing streaks in the category. Among the most effective first-term House members were Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY), Rep. Marcus Molinaro (R-NY), and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ). For first-term senators, top performers included Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
The CEL cautioned that the Senate’s overall lawmaking capacity could soon decline as several longtime top performers exist. Sen. Rubio now serves as Secretary of State, and Sen. Peters has announced plans to retire after the 119th Congress. “The Senate has lost a notable degree of lawmaking capacity, in comparison to more recent congresses, such that it is less obvious as to who will serve as the most prominent legislative leaders in future years,” the report noted.
The full report is available at http://www.thelawmakers.org.
