In Congress, there are many lawmakers hoping to make a change and a difference. Despite common beliefs, the most outspoken lawmakers are not always the most effective or impactful; sometimes, noise is just noise.
Over the past several years, many Democrats in Congress have pushed hard for far-left policies to become law. Some of the most extreme Democrats are therefore at odds with the more centrist-leaning members of their party.
Republican lawmakers, on the other hand, are in a unique position right now. GOP legislators are forced to contend with Democrats controlling both congressional chambers; however, the Democrats’ majorities are so slim that Republicans could easily regain control after the 2022 midterm races.
According to a recent congressional study on legislative effectiveness, one of the most outspoken Democrats has actually been ranked as one of the least effective lawmakers, per Washington Examiner.
A Review of Legislative Effectiveness in Congress
Many Americans are familiar with House Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her tweets. Ocasio-Cortez is known for sparring with Republicans online, urging for socialist policies, etc.
However, despite this reputation, a legislative effectiveness study deemed the New York congresswoman as deeply ineffective overall. For all of Ocasio-Cortez’s tweets and noise, no bills introduced by her have gone anywhere. In fact, out of 240 Democrats in the 116th Congress, Ocasio-Cortez’s ranking came in at 230.
NEW – AOC is one of the least effective members of US Congress, a nonpartisan study by Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia revealed. She introduced a total of 21 "substantive" bills — none ever got floor votes or became law (NY Post)
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) April 3, 2021
The Center for Effective Lawmaking also had an interesting analysis of the New York lawmaker. CEL explained that in spite of Ocasio-Cortez attempting to draw interest in her legislation, other members of Congress ultimately had more success.
What Does It Take to Achieve Effectiveness in Congress?
The study about the ineffectiveness of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has fascinated many Americans. It also goes to show that being the loudest lawmaker in the room doesn’t always draw the right attention.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ranked even lower than Ocasio-Cortez, coming in at 237 out of 240. This low ranking comes in spite of Pelosi being one of the most well-known members of Congress. The House Speaker has remained in Congress for decades; yet, her rate of legislative effectiveness doesn’t bear this out.
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— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 3, 2021
In Congress, effectiveness is ultimately achieved by working with others and garnering the necessary support to get bills passed into law.
What do you think about the information to come from the study of legislative effectiveness in Congress? Are you surprised to learn that some of the most outspoken and infamous Democrats are the least effective? Let us know in the comments section below.
