 The first bill sponsored by Bright would eventually be included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which became law on February 17, 2009.After the defection of fellow Alabama Democrat Parker Griffith to the Republican Party in December 2009, political analyst and statistician Nate Silver suggested that Bright could follow, naming "60/40" odds that he would eventually join the Republican caucus as well.The day after Griffith's party switch, Bright told media that he had no intention of switching parties and would remain a Democrat.