WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two professors have named Rep. Derek Kilmer one of the 10 most effective lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives during the 113th Congress, and among the top five of Democrat representatives.
The 113th Congress was in session during 2013 and 2014.
“Making progress for our nation can be tough in this Congress,” said Kilmer, a Democrat from Gig Harbor, in a news release.
“But if we’re going to get our economy and our Congress moving forward, working in a bipartisan way and focusing on progress rather than partisanship is important.”
As such, Kilmer said he is “honored to have been included in a list of the most effective members of Congress. I’d like to thank my constituents for contributing their ideas and voices as we work to move forward on our region’s priorities.”
And, he said, “I’m committed to continue working to further common goals rather than partisan bickering.”
Kilmer represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula.
Also on the list is another from Washington state: former Congressman Doc Hastings, a Republican, who served in the 4th Congressional District from 1995 until his retirement in 2015.
Along with Hastings, the most effective Republican representatives, according to the list, are Dave Camp of Michigan, Darrell Issa and Edward Royce of California and Don Young of Alaska.
In addition to Kilmer, the most effective Democratic representatives, according to the list, are Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader of Oregon, Richard Nolan of Minnesota and Elijah Cummings of Maryland.
The list was compiled as part of the Legislative Effectiveness Project by University of Virginia Professor Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University Assistant Professor Alan E. Wiseman.
The list was published in The Washington Post last Monday.
As part of the project, the two scholars designed a formula to chart how successful representatives are at pushing bills through the legislative process, while also coding each piece of legislation to measure their significance.
Based on the formula, Kilmer found more success moving legislation he’s sponsored through Congress than the vast majority of his fellow representatives, of which there are 435 in total.
Kilmer pointed out in a news release that he was one of only a few Democrats in the House of Representatives who authored two bills that President Barack Obama signed into law.
Those bills include the American Savings Promotion Act, signed into law Dec. 18; and H.R. 4751, signed into law Sept. 26.
The American Savings Promotion Act amends the Revised Statutes of the United States, the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the Home Owners’ Loan Act to authorize banking institutions to conduct a contest — known as a “savings promotion raffle” — in which private entities become eligible for prizes by depositing a specific amount of money into a savings account or program.
The law aims to help reverse a decline in Americans’ personal savings rates, Kilmer said.
H.R. 4751 officially recognizes a monument on Bainbridge Island commemorating Japanese Americans forced from their home during World War II as the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial.
In 2015, a bipartisan bill Kilmer coauthored to support the emerging commercial space industry — the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act — was signed into law.
Additionally, the Tribal Coastal Resilience Act (H.R. 2719), sponsored by Kilmer, has gained momentum by receiving a hearing in the key House Committee on Natural Resources, the professors noted.
The bill aims to help coastal tribes facing severe weather threats.
Also this year, Kilmer has introduced a new bipartisan bill concerning the Federal Elections Commission — the agency charged with enforcing federal election laws — and also was a coauthor of joint House and Senate legislation aimed at federal loan assistance programs for teachers.
At the start of 2015, Kilmer was chosen by his colleagues to serve on the House Appropriations Committee.
On the committee, Kilmer said he successfully ensured the fiscal year 2016 omnibus spending bill included investments for Puget Sound recovery efforts, support for key projects at the region’s military facilities and policies designed to help area veterans get medical care.
Earlier this year, American Veterans awarded Kilmer the 2015 Silver Helmet Award, an honor presented to one member of Congress each year for work on behalf of military veterans.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
