CONGRESSIONAL RANKINGS
Michigan’s U.S. Senator Gary Peters has been ranked as the most effective Democrat in the Senate for the 116th Congress (2019-2020) by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a joint partnership between Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Members of the center considered a number of factors in their assessment and noted Peters for his “coalition building” that allowed him to have at least one Republican on each of his 24 bills that advanced out of committee, 14 of which passed the Senate and 10 of which became law. Center co-director Alan Wiseman, professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University, put it most succinctly – “bipartisanship pays off.” From the GOP side of the Senate, the same accolade was given to Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida). As for Michigan’s other member of the Senate, Democrat Debbie Stabenow was ranked 45th out of the 45 Democrats in the Senate. Over in the House, among Democrats, Elissa Slotkin (D-Rochester, Rochester Hills, northern Oakland, parts of Livingston and Ingham counties) was ranked 106 out of 240 party members in that chamber for effectiveness. Closer to home, Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township, Franklin, Beverly Hills, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods and parts of Macomb County) was ranked 174 out of 240 Democrats, while Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Troy, western Oakland and Wayne counties) was ranked 176 out of 240 party members in the House. Southfield-based House member Brenda Lawrence was ranked 226 out of