Congressman Joe Cunningham (SC-01) is one of the most bipartisan Democrats in Congress and the most bipartisan freshman in the House of Representatives, according to a new report from The Lugar Center reviewing the first year of the 116th Congress.
“Our government works best when both sides can come to the table and work together,” Cunningham said. “When I ran for Congress, I promised to fight back against political tribalism and always put Lowcountry over party. This ranking shows that I've kept that promise.”
In October, Rep. Cunningham introduced the bipartisan VA Tele-Hearing Modernization Act with Rep. John Katko (R-NY). It would require the Board of Veterans' Appeals to allow veterans with pending appeals to appear before the Board remotely from their personal computers. Last month, the bill was signed into law by President Trump.
Among the other bipartisan legislation introduced by Cunningham:
- The Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act – introduced with Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL), would permanently ban offshore drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.
- The VA Community Infrastructure Act – introduced with Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), would allow the VA to partner with state and local governments for infrastructure projects that support VA medical facilities.
- The CLAY Act – introduced with Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), would lower the cost of prescription drugs for low income individuals.
- The Keeping Our Promises Act – introduced with Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), would help veterans exposed to Agent Orange by expanding the list of the VA's covered conditions.
- The VA Emergency Transportation Act – introduced with Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), would allow the VA to reimburse veterans for ambulance transportation required during their medical treatment.
- The Climate-Ready Fisheries Act of 2019 – introduced with Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), would help Lowcountry fisheries manage the current and anticipated impact of climate change.
You can see The Lugar Center’s rankings here.
