New Hampshire Sen. Hassan named most bipartisan member of Congress. Here's who else made the list
WASHINGTON - A watchdog group is out with their annual bipartisanship ratings for Congress and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) tops the list.
"Our best, longest-lasting solutions are the ones that are founded on input from everybody," she said.
Both NH senators in top 10
Hassan was easily re-elected to a second term in 2022 after emphasizing her bipartisan credentials, and she grabbed the top spot in the annual bipartisanship scorecard put out by the Common Ground Committee, which measures bill sponsorship, bipartisan job approval and other factors. Hassan scored the highest marks ever in this survey, with her New Hampshire colleague Sen. Jeanne Shaheen also ranking among the top ten senators, far above the average score of 29.
"When I talk with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle about what they're hearing from their constituents, they are often very similar to what I'm hearing from people in New Hampshire, because most Americans actually have a lot in common," said Hassan.
It's no accident that New Hampshire is a purple state, prone to choosing candidates of either party. In deep blue Massachusetts, just three members of our all-Democrat delegation - Sen. Ed Markey and Reps. Seth Moulton (6th District) and Lori Trahan (3rd District) - scored above-average marks. (First-term Congressman Jake Auchinchloss (4th District) is too new to be rated.)
The major-party presidential candidates also scored poorly, and even Hassan concedes she'll take shots across the aisle at times. "I certainly will call out people like the former president, who killed a bipartisan border security bill because he said it was bad for him politically," she says.
But Hassan notes true bipartisans have basic shared characteristics: "Valuing their country over soundbites and valuing their country in a way that allows them to listen to the many and not just pay attention to the loud."
Bipartisanship declining recently
According to the Common Ground group, no surprise, bipartisanship in Congress has been declining for years, especially since the January 6th Capitol riot. But bipartisan agreements do still happen, most recently on military aid to our beleaguered foreign allies.
And Hassan proved in her last re-election that you don't have to pander to partisanship to win.