Minnetonka, MN — Today, the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University released their Bipartisan Index ranking members of Congress for their commitment to working across the aisle during the 117^th Congress. Rep. Dean Phillips ranked 13^th among the 437 members of the House of Representatives who served throughout that period, putting him in the top 3% of his peers when it comes to bipartisan policymaking.

“I became a member of Congress during one of the most tumultuous times in the history of our country,” said Rep. Phillips. “Yet public service does not end when the road ahead becomes difficult. Through it all, I never lost my faith in the power of bipartisan dialogue or my mission to inspire a new era of collaboration in Congress. Especially during times of crisis, Americans of all ideologies must come together, build bridges, generate ideas, and produce results to move our country forward.”

The Bipartisan Index measures how often a member of Congress introduces bills that earn co-sponsors from members of the other party and how often they in turn co-sponsor legislation introduced from across the aisle. The Index excludes non-binding resolutions and ceremonial bills, seeking to encourage lawmakers to be more bipartisan when writing or co-sponsoring meaningful policy.

"Since entering Congress, Rep. Phillips has made bipartisan productivity a top priority," said Dan Diller, Policy Director of the Lugar Center.  "Our sponsorship and co-sponsorship data show that he consistently reached across the aisle to get things done for his constituents. We congratulate Rep. Phillips on again scoring near the top of the Bipartisan Index."

In the 117^th Congress, Rep. Phillips’s bipartisan accomplishments included:

• Serving as Vice Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 29 Democrats and 29 Republicans committed to finding bipartisan solutions to the major issues our country faces.
• Passing an historic bipartisan infrastructure package built on a framework that Phillips and the PSC released early last year
• Passing bipartisan relief in the House for restaurants and other small businesses disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Senate is currently considering similar legislation.
• Creating Common Ground Workshops, where Minnesotans of different life experiences and political perspectives have productive, moderated conversations aimed at understanding and respecting one another.  

Congressman Phillips is also the only member of the Minnesota delegation to win a Legislative Action Award from the Bipartisan Policy Center and a Jefferson-Hamilton Award for Bipartisanship from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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