The Senate Chicken Caucus Wednesday was praised by WATT Global Media for the reputation of bipartisanship among its 12 members.
According to an index compiled by the Lugar Center at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), co-chairs of the caucus, are ranked 15th and 12th, respectively, in the Senate in terms of being most bipartisan. The index measures the frequency with which a member co-sponsors a bill introduced by the opposite party and the frequency with which a member’s own bills attract co-sponsors from the opposite party.
Eight of the 12 total caucus members are ranked in the upper half of the Senate in terms of bipartisanship. The rankings were based on the 2017 Senate session.
The remaining members of the caucus include Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mark Warner (D-VA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Boozman (R-AR), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bob Casey (D-PA), David Perdue (R-GA), Tom Carper (D-DE) and Tom Cotton (R-AR). Two-thirds of the caucus are Republicans and one-third are Democrats. Senators Boozman, Ernst and Perdue are members of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry committee.
The Senate Chicken Caucus was formed in 2013. According to Senator Coons’ website, the caucus “serves as a formal group of members whose mission is to educate other senators and staff about the history, contributions, challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. chicken industry.” The caucus “provides a forum for industry leaders, officials and other stakeholders to meet with legislators and examine ways in which the federal government can better serve chicken producers.
