Group rates who's powerful in Congress
The Senate majority leader and speaker of the House are ranked, not surprisingly, as the most influential and powerful members of Congress in a new study released today. But other names high on the list are less predictable.
The rankings, from a new private, nonpartisan company called Knowlegis, are based on a five-month research project that studied what Congress did in 2005. Knowlegis measured various characteristics of power, including position, influence, and whether the member was successful in getting legislation moved for consideration and passed. Some of the rankings are predictable, with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert ranked first for each house of Congress. But the list also contains some surprises. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California was ranked second among Senate Democrats and 11th overall, in part because of a strong legislative record in 2005. Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, scored first in the "influence" power category, primarily because of his media visibility. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, a Texas Democrat, ranked 10th in the "legislation" category (but 152nd overall), because of her success in 2005 in getting amendments considered on the House floor – more than any other member of the House.
"We developed criteria and a weighting formula that reflected how members exercise power," says Brad Fitch, CEO of Knowlegis. "This may not be the totality of a member's contribution to his or her constituents, but it can serve as a valuable tool for citizens when they are judging their elected officials." The rankings can be viewed at Capitol Advantage is the parent company of Knowlegis.
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