 He was recognized by members of both political parties for his willingness to pursue a bipartisan solution to rapidly expanding crisis despite the risk to his political career.While the deal was highly unpopular at the time, Villines was awarded with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award along with fellow legislative leaders Karen Bass, Dave Cogdill and Darrell Steinberg for their role in the budget deal.The Award is the nation's most prestigious honor for elected public servants and recognizes acts that put the good of the public ahead of the individual's interests.