Watson Coleman is the representative for New Jersey’s 12th congressional district (view map) and is a Democrat. She has served since Jan 6, 2015. Watson Coleman is next up for reelection in 2018.
![Photo of Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman [D-NJ12]](/data/photos/412644-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Legislative Metrics
Read our 2017 Report Card for Watson Coleman.
Ideology–Leadership Chart
Watson Coleman is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the House of Representatives positioned according to our liberal–conservative ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).
The chart is based on the bills Watson Coleman has sponsored and cosponsored. See full analysis methodology.
Ratings from Advocacy Organizations
Committee Membership
Bonnie Watson Coleman sits on the following committees:
-
House Committee on Homeland Security
- Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security
- Member, Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
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House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Member, Subcommittee on Government Operations
- Member, Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules
Enacted Legislation
Watson Coleman was the primary sponsor of 1 bill that was enacted:
We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110th Congress).
Bills Sponsored
Issue Areas
Watson Coleman sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:
Government Operations and Politics (23%) Taxation (19%) Crime and Law Enforcement (19%) Emergency Management (8%) Transportation and Public Works (8%) Health (8%) Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues (8%) Energy (8%)
Recent Bills
Some of Watson Coleman’s most recently sponsored bills include...
- H.Res. 933: To acknowledge that the War on Drugs has been a failed policy in ...
- H.Res. 854: Affirming a commitment to elevate the voices, leadership, and needs of historically and ...
- H.R. 5607: Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2018
- H.R. 5502: Prohibit Auto Insurance Discrimination Act
- H.R. 5131: Surface Transportation Security Improvement Act of 2018
- H.R. 4474: Surface Transportation and Public Area Security Act of 2017
- H.R. 3962: Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2017
Voting Record
Key Votes
| Watson Coleman’s Vote | Vote Description |
|---|---|
| Nay |
H.R. 1695: Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 2017
Apr 26, 2017. Passed 378/48.
This bill would change the appointment process for the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, known as the Register of Copyrights. Currently the Register of Copyrights is hired by the Librarian of Congress (who is the head of the Library of Congress). This bill would ... |
| No |
H.R. 4127: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016
Dec 1, 2015. Passed 364/58.
|
| Aye |
H.R. 3038: Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, Part II
Jul 15, 2015. Passed 312/119.
|
| No |
H.R. 2146: Defending Public Safety Employees’ Retirement Act
Jun 18, 2015. Passed 218/208.
This vote made H.R. 2146 the vehicle for passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal currently being negotiated. H.R. 2146 was originally introduced as a bill to address issues with retirement funds of federal law enforcement officers and firefighters. ... |
| Nay |
H.R. 2048: Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015
May 13, 2015. Passed 338/88.
The USA Freedom Act (H.R. 2048, Pub.L. 114–23) is a U.S. law enacted on June 2, 2015 that restored in modified form several provisions of the Patriot Act, which had expired the day before. The act imposes some new limits on the bulk collection of ... |
Missed Votes
From Jan 2015 to Jun 2018, Watson Coleman missed 32 of 2,306 roll call votes, which is 1.4%. This is better than the median of 2.4% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- @unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
- The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
- GPO Member Guide for the photo
- GPO.gov/FDSys, for sponsored bills
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