ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Greek-American U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis was named “Florida’s Most Effective House Republican, according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking’s recently released list of lawmakers in the U.S. House,” Florida Politics (FP) reported.

“The independent project issues rankings of lawmakers based on their ‘Legislative Effectiveness Score,’ which is calculated using 15 indicators that capture the ability of a lawmaker to advance their agenda,” FP reported, noting that “Bilirakis scored +1.713, the highest of any Florida Republican House member.”

“My constituents send me to Washington to get things done on their behalf, and that is my primary focus as I work to better our community and the lives of those I serve. Achieving that goal requires ongoing relationship-building with all stakeholders,” Bilirakis said in a news release, FP reported. “While I am never willing to compromise my principles, I do believe in working together to find common ground. I will continue this approach as I work to address the serious challenges facing our nation.”  

The study also found that Bilirakis, who represents parts of north Pinellas and Pasco counties, is “the most effective House member from the Tampa Bay area,” FP reported, adding that “overall, he scored as Florida’s second most effective lawmaker in the House, coming in behind Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch, who received a score of +2.828.”

Bilirakis was “the 12th most effective Republican lawmaker in the entire Congress,” FP reported, noting that “Bilirakis’ most common issue during the 116th Congress was defense, having sponsored 10 bills related to the issue, including one that was passed and signed into law.”

The Greek-American member of Congress “was also recognized for his focus on health policy, on which he sponsored six bills, including one that passed but was not signed into law,” FP reported, adding that “the Center for Effective Lawmaking’s annual list is a joint partnership between the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Vanderbilt University’s College of Arts and Science.”

“The accolade is not new for Bilirakis,” FP reported, noting that “from 2015 to 2018, Bilirakis authored 27 bills signed into law, previously earning him the most effective lawmaker in the state of Florida.”

“In 2020, Bilirakis ranked 32nd out of 437 in the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index,” FP reported.