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(CAROLYN KASTER/AP)
Believe it or Not, There Are Moderates in Congress
Six lawmakers in the House and Senate had an ideologically even voting record in 2012.
February 21, 2013 | 7:00 a.m.
These are the members closest to the ideological center of the Senate and the House, according to National Journal's 2012 vote ratings. The members with composite scores closest to 50 are at the center of each chamber.
So who's in the center of the center? In the House, that distinction belongs to Michael Grimm, a Republican from New York, who was first elected in 2010 during the tea-party wave. However, once in Congress, Grimm did not join the Tea Party Caucus. Instead he aligned himself with the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership. In the Senate, now-retired Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska sits in dead center. Nelson was a moderate "blue dog" Democrat, opposing abortion but supporting health care reform.
Click on the graphic below for a larger view.
Graphic by Peter Bell; Text By Brian Resnick
About the Vote Ratings
Superlatives
Charts
Were the GOP Freshmen Any More Conservative than the Rest of the Party?
How House Demographics Affect Ideology
Which States Voted in the Most Partisan Delegations? Tables
Cover Story
Can Congress Be Saved?
National Journal’s annual vote ratings show a Congress as paralyzed and polarized as ever. But better days may lie ahead.
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