Politics

US Senators Making the Biggest Impact

24/7 Wall St. Staff

Published: April 24, 2024 12:10 pm

The Senate consists of 100 lawmakers – two from each state, and its’ constitutional powers include oversight over the federal budget, declaring wars, approving or rejecting presidential appointments, conducting impeachment trials, and passing laws. 

Typically, any meaningful legislative action within the Senate requires collective action, but individual lawmakers also wield considerable power. Any sitting U.S. senator – regardless of tenure, committee assignments, or leadership roles – can unilaterally propose new legislation by sponsoring a bill. Bills that originate in the Senate may be for the benefit of certain constituencies or the country at large. Even though most Senate bills do not become law, some senators appear far more willing to make the effort to draft and introduce bills than others. (Here is a look at the least popular senators in America.)

Half of these senators have the additional responsibilities of either chairing or sitting as ranking members in a nonpartisan committee, often an indication of seniority and areas of expertise. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat representing Minnesota, not only chairs three committees outside of her party’s conference but also ranks highly on this list, having sponsored 492 bills since 2019, including seven that ultimately became law. (Here is a look at the senators doing the most to regulate guns.)

Regardless of years in office, in order to remain in the Senate each senator must win reelection to stay in power, including those listed here, and voter sentiment is influenced by any number of factors unrelated to bill proposals. Based on a survey conducted by public opinion research company Morning Consult in the second quarter of 2023, 18 of the senators on this list had approval ratings below 50%. (Here is a look at the least popular senators in America.)

24/7 Wall St. identified the U.S. senators making the biggest impact by using historical records from the federal government’s congressional database. Senators are ranked on an equally weighted index composed of the number of bills they sponsored between January 2019 and October 2023 and the number of those bills that became law. Only the 81 senators who have been in office since 2019 or earlier were considered.  

Why This Matters

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Even for those Americans who manage to stay relatively uninvested in the daily flow of politics, the consequences of the actions of the 100 American senators has wide-reaching effects on the economy and personal wealth. With a major election approaching, we want to help you understand who is making these decisions.

Here are the US senators making the biggest impact:

40. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (D)

Source: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 287
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 1
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 52% approve, 38% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

39. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon (D)

Source: Pool / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 332
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 0
• Committee leadership role(s): Finance Committee and Joint Committee on Taxation Chair
• Popularity: 51% approve, 30% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

38. Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan of New Hampshire (D)

Source: Scott Eisen / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 238
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 3
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 52% approve, 38% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

37. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana (R)

Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 272
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 2
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 51% approve, 37% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

36. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin (D)

Source: Astrid Riecken / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 243
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 3
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 46% approve, 41% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

35. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee (R)

Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 311
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 1
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 52% approve, 34% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

34. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota (R)

Source: gageskidmore / Flickr

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 253
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 3
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 63% approve, 26% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

33. Sen. James E. Risch of Idaho (R)

Source: Win McNamee / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 343
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 1
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee
• Popularity: 46% approve, 33% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

32. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut (D)

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• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 314
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 2
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 51% approve, 37% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

31. Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii (D)

Source: Photo by Drew Angerer / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 281
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 3
• Committee leadership role(s): Indian Affairs Committee Chair
• Popularity: 65% approve, 23% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

30. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio (D)

Source: Win McNamee / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 328
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 2
• Committee leadership role(s): Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chair
• Popularity: 47% approve, 33% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

29. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa (R)

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 366
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 1
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee
• Popularity: 46% approve, 41% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

28. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois (D)

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• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 271
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 4
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 51% approve, 34% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

27. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire (D)

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 333
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 3
• Committee leadership role(s): Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Chair
• Popularity: 52% approve, 35% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

26. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma (R)

Source: Pool / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 371
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 2
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Select Committee on Ethics
• Popularity: 53% approve, 28% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

25. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida (R)

Source: Joe Raedle / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 405
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 1
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 47% approve, 40% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

24. Sen. Cory A. Booker of New Jersey (D)

Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 406
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 1
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 50% approve, 35% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

23. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin (R)

Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 307
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 4
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 43% approve, 48% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

22. Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York (D)

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 374
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 2
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 54% approve, 35% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

21. Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania (D)

Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 348
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 3
• Committee leadership role(s): Special Committee on Aging Chair
• Popularity: 46% approve, 32% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

20. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (R)

Source: Spencer Platt / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 251
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 6
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Indian Affairs Committee
• Popularity: 50% approve, 39% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

19. Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska (R)

Source: David Ryder / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 263
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 6
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 61% approve, 27% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

18. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland (D)

Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 321
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 5
• Committee leadership role(s): Foreign Relations Committee Chair
• Popularity: 53% approve, 24% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

17. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas (R)

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• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 260
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 7
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee
• Popularity: 45% approve, 35% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

16. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada (D)

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 334
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 5
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 49% approve, 38% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

15. Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois (D)

Source: T.J. Kirkpatrick / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 402
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 3
• Committee leadership role(s): Judiciary Committee Chair
• Popularity: 48% approve, 34% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

14. Sen. Roger F. Wicker of Mississippi (R)

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 303
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 6
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Armed Services Committee
• Popularity: 44% approve, 34% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

13. Sen. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts (D)

Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 461
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 2
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 55% approve, 28% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

12. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas (R)

Source: Pool / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 501
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 1
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
• Popularity: 48% approve, 43% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

11. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana (R)

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 404
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 4
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 57% approve, 30% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

10. Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana (R)

Source: Zach Gibson / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 389
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 5
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Special Committee on Aging
• Popularity: 46% approve, 34% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

9. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa (R)

Source: Steve Pope / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 326
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 9
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Budget Committee
• Popularity: 50% approve, 40% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

8. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon (D)

Source: Mark Wilson / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 407
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 7
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 47% approve, 30% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

7. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana (D)

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• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 289
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 11
• Committee leadership role(s): Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair
• Popularity: 58% approve, 34% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

6. Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey (D)

Source: Kena Betancur / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 600
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 2
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 41% approve, 37% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

5. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota (D)

Source: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 492
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 7
• Committee leadership role(s): Chair of the Joint Committee on Printing, the Joint Committee on the Library, and the Rules and Administration Committee
• Popularity: 53% approve, 36% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2025

4. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas (R)

Source: Zach Gibson / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 408
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 21
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 43% approve, 35% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

3. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida (R)

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• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 771
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 12
• Committee leadership role(s): Ranking member of the Select Committee on Intelligence
• Popularity: 50% approve, 38% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

2. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah (R)

Source: Leigh Vogel / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 1,088
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 4
• Committee leadership role(s): None
• Popularity: 49% approve, 39% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2029

1. Sen. Gary C. Peters of Michigan (D)

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

• Total bills sponsored (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 401
• Sponsored bills that became law (Jan. 2019 – Oct. 2023): 30
• Committee leadership role(s): Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair
• Popularity: 43% approve, 31% disapprove
• Beginning of current term: Jan. 3, 2027

Methodology

24/7 Wall St. reviewed historical data from the federal government’s congressional database to identify the U.S. Senators making the biggest impact. All 81 sitting U.S. Senators who have been in office since 2019 or earlier were ranked on an equally weighted index composed of the number of bills they sponsored between January 2019 and October 2023 and the number of those bills that became law.

We also reviewed supplemental information on the senators who either chair or are ranking members of, a committee in the current 118th Congress. Only committees with no party affiliation are listed.

Additional supplemental data on each senator’s approval rating is from public opinion research company Morning Consult and is current as of the second quarter of 2023.