Rep. Castro Recognized as Most Effective Democratic House Member in the 118th Congress
The Center for Effective Lawmaking Highlights Rep. Castro for His Continued Legislative Success
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) was recognized by the Center for Effective Lawmaking as the most effective Democratic House member in the 118th Congress. The Congressman introduced over 30 bills and bipartisan amendments in the 118th Congress and worked effectively behind the scenes to move his proposals through the legislative process. Despite being a member of the minority party, Congressman Castro has prioritized bipartisan relationships and ingenuity–striking compromises to insert his bill language in other legislative vehicles – when standalone bills would not pass in a fractured Congress.
“I am honored to be recognized by the Center for Effective Lawmaking as the most effective Democratic House member in the 118th Congress. None of this would have been possible without my dedicated staff – in San Antonio and Washington, D.C. – and I want to thank them for all their great work on behalf of Texans and the American people to earn our office this recognition,” said Congressman Castro.
“The legislative process is a grind and often one that folks do not see. Over the years, my staff and I have beencommitted to that behind-the-scenes work. I will continue to partner with my colleagues in Congress who share that vision, and find legislative solutions that make a real and lasting impactin the lives of all Americans.
“Thank you to the Center for Effective Lawmaking for this incredible honor,” concluded Congressman Castro.
Read an excerpt of the report below, and a link to the entire report can be found here.
“At the top of the list, we see Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas, who introduced 30 bills into the 118th Congress. Similar to the experiences of Rep. Don Bacon, the scope of Rep. Castro’s success in navigating the lawmaking process seems quite limited at first glance, given that only one of his sponsored bills (the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations with ASEAN Act) passed the House, and none of his sponsored bills became law as standalone measures.
A deeper consideration of his legislative agenda, however, illustrates the ways in which Rep. Castro, similar to Rep. Bacon, was able to work behind the scenes to move his proposals through the lawmaking process, such that a substantial portion of the language in ten of his sponsored bills were ultimately incorporated into other vehicles that became law. Examples of these bills include the Internet at Hardship Posts Act, the U.S.-ASEAN Center Act, the Intelligence Community Joint Duty Improvements Act, and the Southeast Asia Partnership Expansion Act, all of which were incorporated (in large part) into the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024. Taken together, Rep. Castro’s Legislative Effectiveness Score places him as the sixth overall in the House, despite being a member of the minority party. His approach of working behind the scenes – to strike compromises and insert his bill language in other legislative vehicles – shows further opportunities for minority-party lawmakers to succeed in Congress.”