| Rank | Bill | Cosponsors | Author | Title | Status |
| 1 | HR 431 | Total: 303 115 R 188 D 0 I |
Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) | To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody S… | Passed House |
| 2 | HR 160 | Total: 273 240 R 33 D 0 I |
Erik Paulsen (R-MN) | To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on medical device… | Introduced |
| 3 | HR 699 | Total: 240 154 R 86 D 0 I |
Kevin Yoder (R-KS) | To amend title 18, United States Code, to update the privacy protections for electron… | Introduced |
| 4 | HR 36 | Total: 183 180 R 3 D 0 I |
Trent Franks (R-AZ) | To amend title 18, United States Code, to protect pain-capable unborn children, and f… | Introduced |
| 5 | HR 861 | Total: 175 0 R 175 D 0 I |
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 | Introduced |
113th Congress House Cosponsor Wrap-up
With the 113th Congress in the books, it is time to take a look at the final co-sponsorship standings. I was once told that “the number of cosponsors a bill collects is not important.” The stats this year contradict that assertion. Eighteen of the top twenty-five most cosponsored bills passed the House. At least one bill listed as merely “Introduced” – H.R. 721 (No. 25; and lobbied by yours truly) was enacted in part in H.R. 5771, the tax extenders bill. The same is true for H.R. 647. Counting those two bills, twelve of the top twenty-five most-cosponsored bills became law in the 113th Congress.
Stay tuned for the 114th Congress. 218and51.com will continue posting and expand coverage into votes and Senate cosponsorships.
Continue reading 113th Congress House Cosponsor Wrap-up
Most cosponsored House bills through 12 December 2014
As the Congress winds down, and 17 of the top 25 most-cosponsored bills in the House have either passed the House or passed Congress, the leader board is pretty much set for the 113th Congress. The most notable change is Rep. Whitfield’s H.R. 1518, which broke into a two-way tie for 10th place with Re. Paulsen’s H.R. 627 which has already passed the House.
Congratulations to Rep. Crenshaw for the House passage of H.R. 647 – the ABLE Act. This bill had been the most-cosponsored bill in the House, and has seen action in the closing days of this Congress.
Continue reading Most cosponsored House bills through 12 December 2014
Most Cosponsored House Bills through 21 November 2014
With Veterans Day falling on Tuesday last week there were only three days during which cosponsors were added to bills. Between 12 November and 14 November there were 628 cosponsors added to 247 different bills. The biggest cosponsor getter was Rep. David Joyce’s (R-OH) H.Res. 755, supporting the goals and ideals of American Education Week, not be confused with H.R. 755, a top 25 list member.
The biggest increase of cosponsors for a House Bill was for H.R. 4960, Rep. Todd Young’s (R-IN) Charitable Automobile Red-Tape Simplification Act of 2014 or the CARS Act of 2014. H.R. 4960 gained 20 cosponsors putting it behind H.Res. 755, H.Res. 728, and H.Res. 281 in terms of cosponsors added last week, but pushing it over a majority of the House in terms of co-sponsorship. With a total of 230 cosponsors, H.R. 4960 is 21 cosponsors out of 25th place for the Congress.
Continue reading Most Cosponsored House Bills through 21 November 2014
Most Cosponsored House Bills as of 14 November 2014
Last week there were 166 new bills introduced in the House. There were 1,357 new non-original cosponsors added to 446 different bills in the House. H.Res. 620 and H.R. 5403 tied for the largest number of House cosponsors added last week with 43 each – eight cosponsors more than the next highest recipient, H.R. 5441 with 35.
Click here for the top 25 bills list, along with links to graphs and maps for each bill
Which Representatives support the fewest bills from the other party? How did they fare in 2014?
What can legislative cosponsorship data show us about the willingness of members to work across the aisle in Congress? How bipartisan are various Representatives?
Democrats that supported Republican bills did not fare very well in the 2014 elections. Three of the 10 members with the most Republican bills were defeated and an additional three retired. Republicans that stuck to Republican bills were handily reelected, as were Democrats that stuck to Democratic bills. Those Republicans with the highest percentage of Democratic bills also fared well.
Continue reading. A table detailing the 20 most and least bipartisan cosponsors follows in the full post…
Most Cosponsored House Bills as of September 19 Recess
The Top 25 most-cosponsored bills in the US House of Representatives has been updated to reflect cosponsors added prior to Congress’ recess on Sept. 19. This was an unusually early recess for Congress and since Congress will remain out of session until after the November elections, cosponsor totals are unlikely to change until the lame duck session of Congress.
Each bill number in the table below links to a detailed time line and map of cosponsors for each bill, along with links to additional information on the legislation.
It is conceivable that national emergencies in the Middle East or with Ebola could require the House to return to session earlier, in which case additional cosponsors could be added prior to November.
| Rank | Bill | Cosponsors | Author | Title | Status |
| 1 | HR 647 | Total: 380 194R 186D |
Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) | ABLE Act of 2013 | Introduced |
| 2 | HR 850 | Total: 378 218R 160D |
Edward R. Royce (R-CA) | Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013 | Passed House |
| 2 | HR 3302 | Total: 378 199R 179D |
Jeff Miller (R-FL) | To name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Bay Pines, Florida, as t… | Became Law |
| 4 | HR 938 | Total: 355 207R 148D |
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) | United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 | Passed House |
| 5 | HR 755 | Total: 354 160R 194D |
Michael T. McCaul (R-TX) | To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the Civil Air Patr… | Introduced |
| 6 | HR 324 | Total: 326 205R 121D |
Jeff Miller (R-FL) | To grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Special Service For… | Became Law |
| 7 | HR 4411 | Total: 321 193R 128D |
Mark Meadows (R-NC) | Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 | Passed House |
| 8 | HR 685 | Total: 312 183R 129D |
Sam Johnson (R-TX) | American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act | Became Law |
| 9 | HR 1209 | Total: 309 182R 127D |
Pete Olson (R-TX) | To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II members of the “Doolittle Tok… | Became Law |
| 10 | HR 627 | Total: 307 143R 164D |
Erik Paulsen (R-MN) | National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act | Passed House |
| 11 | HR 1518 | Total: 304 114R 190D |
Ed Whitfield (R-KY) | PAST Act | Introduced |
| 11 | HR 2203 | Total: 304 191R 113D |
Patrick J. Tiberi (R-OH) | To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to Jack Nicklaus, in r… | Passed House |
| 13 | HR 360 | Total: 301 96R 205D |
Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) | To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair,… | Became Law |
| 13 | HR 1726 | Total: 301 117R 184D |
Bill Posey (R-FL) | To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borin… | Became Law |
| 13 | HR 2932 | Total: 301 100R 201D |
Joe Courtney (D-CT) | United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act | Introduced |
| 16 | HR 2366 | Total: 300 163R 137D |
Doug Lamborn (R-CO) | World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act | Introduced |
| 17 | HR 2939 | Total: 299 112R 187D |
Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA) | To award the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres. | Became Law |
| 18 | HR 3658 | Total: 298 141R 157D |
Kay Granger (R-TX) | Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 | Became Law |
| 19 | HR 2866 | Total: 293 188R 105D |
Lee Terry (R-NE) | Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act | Passed House |
| 20 | HR 523 | Total: 275 229R 46D |
Erik Paulsen (R-MN) | Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2013 | Introduced |
| 21 | HR 1852 | Total: 270 173R 97D |
Kevin Yoder (R-KS) | Email Privacy Act | Introduced |
| 22 | HRES 434 | Total: 256 55R 201D |
Karen Bass (D-CA) | Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Mandela and expressing condo… | Passed House |
| 23 | HR 543 | Total: 251 94R 157D |
Christopher P. Gibson (R-NY) | Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2013 | Introduced |
| 24 | HR 721 | Total: 250 143R 107D |
Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) | Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2013 | Introduced |
| 25 | HR 1563 | Total: 244 132R 112D |
Brett Guthrie (R-KY) | Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2013 | Introduced |
The Most Cosponsored Bills – August Recess Summary – 8 Sept. 2014
The end of the August congressional recess starts the sprint to the November elections and the lame duck session. In the closing days of the 113th Congress, what legislative concepts have significant support, but have not yet passed?
As of 5 August 2014 (the last day cosponsors were added before the August Recess) there were 6,336 bills introduced in the House and 123 House bills had been enacted into law (1.94%).* In the Senate 3,396 bills have been introduced with 40 enacted into law (1.18%).
Intermodal Politics – The Cargo Container as a Soapbox
In my lobbying practice I have represented many infrastructure and transportation clients. As a former campaign advance man I’ve dealt with the logistics of moving a candidate using cars, buses, trains, planes, and even the occasional watercraft. Transportation has received short shrift in Congress and on the campaign trail and this is remarkable given the key role that transportation plays in getting elected.
American presidential campaigns use their own campaign versions of Air Force One to jet from one rally to another. Campaigns for state-wide office regularly feature “bus tours” and general aviation resources to transport candidates. Railroad “whistle-stop” tours have been a part of the American political consciousness since the 1800s. Continue reading…