Colorado Politics

Gardner again rated among the U.S. Senate’s most bipartisan members

You wouldn’t know it from the election-year attack ads against him, but Colorado’s Cory Gardner again is rated as one of the most bipartisan members of the U.S. Senate, based on the number of bipartisan bills he’s sponsored.

The bill-tracking site GovTrack ranked Gardner second, with 50 bills, tied with Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

They trail New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez, who had 71 bipartisan bills last year.

Colorado’s Michael Bennet, who until recently was a presidential candidate, ranked tied for 51st with 15 bipartisan bills, a spot behind presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, who had 16.

The full list is available by clicking here.

“I’m proud of my bipartisan record of results for Colorado,” Gardner said in a statement. “Great things are possible when we set aside partisan blinders and instead focus on the results that Coloradans care about. I will continue to work across the aisle for the good of our entire state, because it’s what the people of Colorado want and should demand from their leaders in Washington.”

Gardner is in one of the toughest re-election campaigns in the country this year, as polling has indicated President Trump and the Republican senator are unpopular with voters in a state trending blue.

The state Democratic Party, which has sought to link Trump and Gardner, has made much of the relationship, including their ringing endorsements for one another last week when Trump held a campaign rally in Colorado Springs.

“Senator Gardner has voted with President Trump 98% of the time to take away our health care, raid millions from Peterson Air Force Base, and sell out Colorado’s public lands to the highest bidder,” David Pourshoushtari, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party said in an email Wednesday night.

“Coloradans are smart enough to know that co-sponsoring bills that go nowhere won’t make up for Gardner’s record of putting loyalty to Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump before Colorado while failing to deliver results on bipartisan priorities like expanding background checks and lowering prescription drug costs.”

Gardner’s office noted that Quorum Analytics also listed Gardner is one of the most bipartisan senators in August, while the bipartisan Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University ranked the Coloradan fifth for working across the aisle last March, as well.

Jason Salzman of the left-leaning news website The Colorado Times Recorder panned the Quorum Analytics recognition, saying it was based on a narrow set of numbers and ignored such major issues as gun violence, climate change, healthcare and abortion, where Gardner stands with his party.

GovTrack added a caveat to the list: “A higher or lower number below doesn’t necessarily make a legislator any better or worse, or more or less effective, than other Members of Congress. We present these statistics for you to understand the quantitative aspects of legislating and make your own judgements based on what legislative activities you think are important.”

This story was updated with a comment from the state Democratic Party.

Colorado’s U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet, left, and Cory Gardner speak with a vendor at the Outdoor Retailer show in Denver on Jan. 26, 2018.
Photo by Joey Bunch/Colorado politics
Tags

PREV

PREVIOUS

Trump campaign hits airwaves with ad filmed at Colorado Springs rally (VIDEO)

President Donald Trump declares that America “is stronger today than ever before” in a television ad filmed at last week’s campaign rally in Colorado Springs that hits the state’s airwaves on Thursday. The 2-minute ad, featuring footage of the speech Trump delivered at The Broadmoor World Arena on Feb. 20, will air on broadcast stations in […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Selection committee named in Denver’s search for a new sheriff

The search is on for Denver’s new sheriff. Following the October resignation of Patrick Firman after four turbulent years at the helm of the city’s jails, the Department of Public Safety late last year sought community and staff feedback to help guide the interview and selection process. The agency also created a sheriff selection committee, […]


Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests