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May 5, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Congressional bipartisanship at highest levels since Bush

Neal Rothschild

Politics have never felt more tribal than they do in the Trump administration, but a look at legislation during this session of Congress shows more bipartisanship than at any other point since George W. Bush was in office. Compared to the first 16 months of previous Congressional sessions, there have been more proposed bipartisan bills and more enacted bipartisan bills in the 115th Congress, according to an analysis by Quorum.

Adapted from Quorum; Note: Bills are tracked from Jan. 1 of the previous year to April 27 of the plotted year; Chart: Axios Visuals
Adapted from Quorum; Note: Bills are tracked from Jan. 1 of the previous year to April 27 of the plotted year; Chart: Axios Visuals

By the numbers: 23.4% of bills introduced by the House have been bipartisan — the highest since the 2005-06 Congress. In the Senate, 25.7% of proposed bills have cut across the aisle — the highest since 07-08. And it's not just proposed bills that are bipartisan. 3.85% of all proposed bipartisan bills have been enacted, also the highest number since 07-08.

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