How bipartisan has U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole been?

From 2003 to 2008, the Salisbury Republican was the primary sponsor of 140 bills. Of them, 80 had no cosponsors, 27 had only Republican cosponsors and 33 had Democratic cosponsors.

Overall, her 264 cosponsors included 164 Republicans and 100 Democrats, or about three-to-two ratio. A bill to give British Prime Minister Tony Blair the Congressional Medal of Honor was the most bipartisan measure, with 30 Democratic cosponsors.

Another bipartisan bill would have phased out reduced-price lunches at public schools by increasing eligibility for free lunches. Six Republican and eight Democrats signed on.

The most frequent Democratic cosponsor was Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who signed on to seven bills, including ones to investigate Camp Lejeune's drinking water and recognize the Lumbee tribe as well as several amendments to bills.

Sen. Joe Lieberman signed onto six bills, including ones to set aside a portion of the gross domestic product for defense spending and provide job training in college. Sens. Ted Kennedy, Tom Harkin, Richard Durbin, Frank Lautenberg and Bill Nelson each signed onto five bills.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards signed onto four Dole bills, including recognizing the Lumbees and honoring Blair.

Previously: Dole's cosponsors in 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Salisbury Republican, co-sponsored Democratic legislation this week that would require the federal government to limit levels of a harmful chemical sometimes found in drinking water – including in the wells of Camp Lejeune.

The bill, introduced Wednesday by Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, aims to protect residents from trichloroethylene, commonly known as TCE, reports Barb Barrett. The chemical is found in paint, adhesives, spot removers and solvents used to clean metal parts.

The chemical was present in drinking water at Camp Lejeune wells from the 1950s until the 1980s. The problems of Camp Lejeune’s water have been known, but Congress has been re-visiting the issue in hearings this summer.

Other senators co-sponsoring the bill include Sens. Barbara Boxer of California, John Kerry of Massachusetts and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey.

Correction: An earlier post listed the wrong state for Kerry.

Read more after the jump.

   Comments (0)