Most cosponsored House and Senate bills in 114th Congress as of 10 October 2015

Woohoo! Back up and running! After several months with jacked up data base queries, broken Java code, crazy children (including a five-year old Lisa Simpson), the start of the Postseason, and a real job, I have finally found the time to get my cosponsor tracking back up and running – only half way through the 114th Congress – c’est la vie.

The last few weeks have been crazy on the Hill: Speaker resigning; Speaker-to-be withdrawing; Speaker-wanna-bes talking big game; Speakers-that-could-be not in the hunt.

It’s like the last two minutes of Bridge on the River Kwai:

Alec Guinness spots the primer cord and rats out the Allied commandos; Lt. Joyce stabs Col. Saito; the Japanese shoot Joyce; The Bridge on the River Kwai; Columbia Pictures 1957
William Holden rushes in only to be gunned down; The Bridge on the River Kwai; Columbia Pictures 1957
Jack Hawkins fires a mortar; The Bridge on the River Kwai; Columbia Pictures 1957
and mortally wounds Guinness who exclaims, “What have I done?” The Bridge on the River Kwai; Columbia Pictures 1957
Guinness falls on the detonator; the bridge blows; the train drops into the river. The Bridge on the River Kwai; Columbia Pictures 1957
James Donald utters the final words: “Madness! Madness!”

Yeah, it’s a little like that.[1]

The Bridge on the River Kwai; Columbia Pictures 1957
Images from The Bridge on the River Kwai; Columbia Pictures Corporation, 1957

Madness! Madness! Despite the madness there are some aggressive cosponsor getters out there a little less than half way through the 114th (the bill I get paid to work among them). Clearly there are at least a couple things that most members can agree on. In addition to trying to keep a running total I will also try on some new visualizations in the coming days. Here is the list for the House Top 25 as of October 10, 2015 [Click here to jump to the Senate list]:

Rank Bill Cosponsors Author Title Status
1 HR 431 Total: 303
115 R 188 D
Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody S… Became Law
2 HR 699 Total: 300
190 R 110 D
Kevin Yoder (R-KS) Email Privacy Act Introduced
3 HR 893 Total: 296
175 R 121 D
Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act Became Law
4 HR 2722 Total: 283
118 R 165 D
Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act Introduced
5 HR 160 Total: 282
241 R 41 D
Erik Paulsen (R-MN) Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2015 Passed House
6 HR 969 Total: 271
121 R 150 D
Christopher P. Gibson (R-NY) Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015 Introduced
7 HR 721 Total: 243
147 R 96 D
Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2015 Introduced
8 HR 1559 Total: 240
82 R 158 D
Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer’s Act of 2015 Introduced
9 HR 928 Total: 235
228 R 7 D
Charles W. Boustany, Jr. (R-LA) To repeal the annual fee on health insurance providers enacted by the Patient Protect… Introduced
9 HR 1190 Total: 235
215 R 20 D
David P. Roe (R-TN) Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act of 2015 Passed House
9 HR 1624 Total: 235
188 R 47 D
Brett Guthrie (R-KY) Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act Introduced
12 HR 6 Total: 230
109 R 121 D
Fred Upton (R-MI) 21st Century Cures Act Introduced
13 HR 1610 Total: 223
172 R 51 D
Reid J. Ribble (R-WI) Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2015 Introduced
14 HRES 12 Total: 221
48 R 173 D
Sam Graves (R-MO) Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Se… Introduced
15 HRES 367 Total: 220
220 R 0 D
Peter J. Roskam (R-IL) Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in disapproval of the Joint Comp… Introduced
16 HR 592 Total: 218
122 R 96 D
Brett Guthrie (R-KY) Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act Introduced
17 HR 985 Total: 216
119 R 97 D
Brett Guthrie (R-KY) Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2015 Introduced
18 HCONRES 17 Total: 213
167 R 46 D
K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act. Introduced
19 HR 1475 Total: 205
128 R 77 D
Sam Johnson (R-TX) Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act of 2015 Introduced
20 HRES 233 Total: 202
93 R 109 D
Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI) Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Iran should immediately rel… Passed House
20 HR 842 Total: 202
77 R 125 D
Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) Huntington’s Disease Parity Act of 2015 Introduced
22 HR 1619 Total: 193
1 R 192 D
Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) Paycheck Fairness Act Introduced
23 HR 861 Total: 192
0 R 192 D
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 Introduced
24 HR 235 Total: 191
132 R 59 D
Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act Passed House
25 HR 1031 Total: 190
0 R 190 D
Maxine Waters (D-CA) Promoting U.S. Jobs Through Exports Act of 2015

The Senate Top 25 as of October 10, 2015

Rank Bill Cosponsors Author Title Status
1 SRES 19 Total: 99
52 R 45 D
2 I
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) A resolution relative to the death of Edward W. Brooke, III, former United States Sen… Passed Senate
1 SRES 38 Total: 99
52 R 45 D
2 I
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) A resolution relative to the death of Wendell H. Ford, former United States Senator f… Passed Senate
1 SRES 82 Total: 99
52 R 45 D
2 I
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) A resolution commending Kathleen Alvarez Tritak on her service to the United States S… Passed Senate
1 SRES 191 Total: 99
53 R 44 D
2 I
Thomas R. Carper (D-DE) A resolution relative to the death of Joseph Robinette Biden, III. Passed Senate
1 SRES 212 Total: 99
52 R 45 D
2 I
Tim Scott (R-SC) A resolution condemning the attack on Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in C… Passed Senate
1 SRES 227 Total: 99
52 R 45 D
2 I
Bob Corker (R-TN) A resolution condemning the attacks of July 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, hono… Passed Senate
1 SRES 231 Total: 99
52 R 45 D
2 I
David Vitter (R-LA) A resolution honoring the memory and legacy of the two Louisiana citizens who lost th… Passed Senate
1 SRES 250 Total: 99
53 R 44 D
2 I
Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA) A resolution relative to the death of Richard Schultz Schweiker, former United States… Passed Senate
1 SRES 259 Total: 99
53 R 44 D
2 I
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) A resolution honoring the bravery and heroism of those who selflessly prevented a dea… Passed Senate
10 S 527 Total: 74
33 R 40 D
1 I
Jeff Sessions (R-AL) A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in B… Passed Senate
11 S 301 Total: 73
37 R 35 D
1 I
Deb Fischer (R-NE) Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act Passed Senate
12 S 571 Total: 66
46 R 19 D
1 I
James M. Inhofe (R-OK) Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 Introduced
12 S 615 Total: 66
45 R 20 D
1 I
Bob Corker (R-TN) Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 Introduced
14 SRES 87 Total: 61
26 R 34 D
1 I
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) A resolution to express the sense of the Senate regarding the rise of anti-Semitism i… Passed Senate
15 S 1 Total: 59
52 R 7 D
0 I
John Hoeven (R-ND) Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act Failed to pass over veto
16 S 697 Total: 57
35 R 22 D
0 I
Tom Udall (D-NM) Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act Introduced
17 SJRES 6 Total: 53
52 R 1 D
0 I
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States re… Introduced
17 S 928 Total: 53
9 R 42 D
2 I
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY) James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act Introduced
19 S 167 Total: 52
20 R 30 D
2 I
John McCain (R-AZ) Clay Hunt SAV Act Introduced
19 S 269 Total: 52
44 R 8 D
0 I
Mark Kirk (R-IL) Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015 Introduced
21 SJRES 8 Total: 51
50 R 1 D
0 I
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5… Vetoed by President
21 S 336 Total: 51
50 R 1 D
0 I
Ted Cruz (R-TX) ObamaCare Repeal Act Introduced
23 SRES 76 Total: 50
49 R 1 D
0 I
John Cornyn (R-TX) A resolution welcoming the Prime Minister of Israel to the United States for his addr… Passed Senate
23 S 423 Total: 50
36 R 13 D
1 I
Jerry Moran (R-KS) Privacy Notice Modernization Act of 2015 Introduced
23 S 431 Total: 50
39 R 11 D
0 I
John Thune (R-SD) Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act Introduced
26 SJRES 22 Total: 49
48 R 1 D
0 I
Joni Ernst (R-IA) A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5… Introduced

[1] Shockingly all of the clips on YouTube cut out the repetition of the phrase “Madness!” It’s the definitive non-whistling line of the movie. It’s like clipping Cleopatra and leaving out Roddy McDowell’s Oscar-winning monologue (jump to 5:00 in the linked clip). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bjBIJjglq8