Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a name for herself before she arrived in Washington for her first term in Congress by ousting a longtime and powerful incumbent, Joe Crowley. “AOC” -- as she’s known on Twitter and in pop culture -- has turned that historic win into clout and momentum on Capitol Hill. She’s been vilified by Republicans and had a hot/cold relationship with moderate Democrats. Aside from being the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, she’s known on the Hill for her progressive views, social media savvy, and coalition building for causes. Her “Green New Deal,” which aimed to address the threats posed by climate change, became a lightning rod for conservatives. As a legislator she’s had trouble getting any of her 23 standalone bills voted out of the House, something that requires coalition building and consensus.

 

This member of Congress did not provide us with an on-the-record statement in response to this project.


What the rankings mean:

Number of bills sponsored:

This metric measures the number of unique bills put forward by a Representative or a Senator. A Resolution usually expresses an opinion or addresses procedure in the House or Senate and doesn’t go to the President. An Amendment is a change to the language of legislation. Everything has to be voted on.

Number of bills passed out of one chamber:

Getting a bill passed through a chamber is tough. In order to pass a bill out of a chamber, a member of Congress must build consensus among his or her colleagues.

Number of bills signed into law:

If a bill from an opposite party is signed into law by a President, the achievement is a significant victory for that Member of Congress if the bill is significant. Many non-controversial bills are signed into law as a matter of routine.

Percentage a member votes with his or her party:

Source: ProPublica. Procedural votes count toward this score and it isn’t entirely indicative of a member’s loyalty, or disloyalty, to the party.

Lugar Center Bipartisan Index Score:

The Bipartisan Index is a joint project of The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. Scores above 1.0 are outstanding. Scores above .5 are very good. Scores below -.5 are poor. Scores below -1.0 are very poor.