For the year 2015, when it comes to getting her own legislation passed, I rate Rep. Katherine Clark the most effective lawmaker in the Massachusetts House delegation. By that same measure, Rep. Richard Neal clocks in as the least effective. But Neal’s ranking comes with the caveat that my measure is narrow and does not reflect overall impact in the House.
Not that writing laws that become law is the full measure of a member of Congress. As chronicled throughout the year, they can find many ways to be effective. Indeed, in the current state of play on Capitol Hill, straightforward legislating can be among the least productive uses of one’s time.
Still, it’s worth taking a look at the legislative record of the area’s House members in the year just finished.
I have ranked the Massachusetts House delegation by their 2015 legislative prowess, based on a variety of factors including the success of their own bills and amendments, and support they receive from others. I used material gathered from the Library of Congress, GovTrack.us, Congress.gov, and other sources—and my own observations.
1. Rep. Katherine Clark
Only two bills authored by Massachusetts House members became law in 2015, and one was Clark’s Protecting Our Infants Act. Designed to address opioid addiction in newborns, the bill was signed by President Barack Obama in November.
That was the only one of Clark’s nine filed bills to advance, but she enters the second half of the two-year session with more headway than most. She towers over the others from the state in gaining cosponsors, with a total of 424, or an average of 47 per bill.
And that should grow, as she begins circulating two late-filed bills: the Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act; and the Internet Swatting Hoax Act.
Importantly, she snagged “powerful” co-sponsors for three of the nine, according to GovTrack.us—meaning the chair or ranking member of the committee to which the bill has been assigned.
GovTrack.us also shows that four of Clark’s bills had accompanying Senate versions. That was the case with the Protecting Our Infants Act, which certainly helped it move through that chamber quickly.
2. Rep. Stephen Lynch
Lynch is the only member of the delegation to get two bills out of committee last year. One, the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act, was signed into law in November.
The other would dedicate an empty chair in the U.S. Capitol building’s rotunda to America’s prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action. It has been reported out of the House Administration Committee.
Lynch has an average of fewer than 10 cosponsors for each of his 13 bills—and none of the four amendments he offered to other bills were adopted—but he has “powerful” sponsors on four, and Senate companion bills for three.
He also has one of the strongest records of bipartisan cosponsorship for his bills, which is vital given the Republican leadership in Congress.
3. Rep. Seth Moulton
Moulton introduced just six bills, but one, the Microloan Modernization Act, passed the House in July and is considered to have a chance to work its way through the Senate this year.
He also had his only offered amendment adopted, to and Intelligence Authorization bill.
Although he only has a total of 52 cosponsors, that includes “powerful” members for five of his six bills.
Moulton has also worked well across the aisle: 37 percent of the 133 bills he has cosponsored were written by Republicans. That’s second-highest in the delegation.
4. Rep. Bill Keating
Keating picks his spots. He filed just four bills in 2015, but one has been reported out of committee; and four of the five amendments he offered were adopted.
The bill that came out of the Homeland Security Committee seeks to crack down on trafficking of cultural property, which is often used to fund terrorist organizations and organized crime. It was marked up by the committee in November.
5. Rep. Jim McGovern
None of McGovern’s 10 bills have moved, although at least one—the Prescribe A Book Act—was included in larger legislation that became law.
McGovern, in fact, could be considered one of the least effective lawmakers by my very specific criteria. But that characterization must be tempered by the fact that his role was often to lead the floor debate in opposition to bills pushed through by the Republican majority.
Nevertheless, McGovern has an average of 21 cosponsors for his bills, including “powerful” members for three. He has Senate companion bills for four of them.
He also was responsible for getting measures into large legislative packages—including the omnibus budget and transportation-funding bills. Those accomplishments are hard to quantify, but critical.
And he is prolific in assisting others with their bills. He cosponsored 530 bills this year, by far the most in the state’s delegation. And, while only 22 percent of those were Republican-sponsored bills—the lowest percentage in the delegation—that still translates into more than 100 aisle-crossing assists, more than anyone else from Massachusetts.
6. Rep. Joe Kennedy
Strictly speaking, Kennedy rates very low on the measures I’m using. None of his six bills have in advanced, and none seem likely to pass in 2016. They have a total of just 59 cosponsors, and none have a “powerful” cosponsor. Even his amendments offered were zero-for-two for adoption.
Yet I give him an assist for the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting (NASPER) Reauthorization Act, which was filed by Republican Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky. Kennedy co-sponsored the bill with Whitfield from the start, as a bipartisan effort, and helped usher it through the Energy and Commerce Committee.
It passed the House in September, and seems to have a decent chance of becoming law this year.
7. Rep. Michael Capuano
Capuano filed the most bills of anyone in the Massachusetts delegation—17 of them—and none have moved out of committee.
Capuano tends to achieve his results through a variety of methods beyond straightforward legislation.
And, despite his well-known antagonism toward Republicans, 32 percent of the bills he co-sponsored were filed by Republicans.
In one case, Capuano was the lead Democratic co-sponsor of a House Resolution, opposing an Obama administration plan to issue college rating system. He filed the resolution with Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, and although that resolution was never voted on, it helped pressure the Department of Education to back down and change its plans.
8. Rep. Niki Tsongas
Tsongas filed just four bills in 2015, and none have advanced. They have a total of 52 co-sponsors, with no “powerful” cosponsors or Senate companion bills.
But she had a considerable, if hard to quantify, effect on legislation behind the scenes, particularly the National Defense Authorization Act.
9. Rep. Richard Neal
To be fair, one could argue that, as a senior member of the Ways & Means Committee, Neal has his fingers in more legislation than anyone else from the state.
But, using our criteria, Neal lands at the bottom of the list. He introduced just five bills, and no amendments, none of which have advanced.
He hasn’t even put out a press release about legislating since April.
Attendance Record
Also, for those who agree with Woody Allen that 80 percent of life is showing up, I looked at the votes missed by members of the Massachusetts delegation.
Tsongas missed the most, skipping 44 of the 704 votes—a little over 6 percent.
Best attendance goes to freshman Moulton, who missed just one.
Keating and Neal missed 22 each; Lynch missed 17, Capuano 15, and Kennedy 13. Absences for McGovern and Clark were in the single digits: nine and five respectively.
