Heritage Action Scores Congress

NRO ^ | 08/25/11 | Andrew Stiles

[freespirited]

 

 

Heritage Action for America, the conservative advocacy group that has played an influential role in the ongoing spending debate in Washington, has unveiled its latest scorecard for every member of Congress. Here’s how the group describes its ratings system: 

With each vote cast in Congress, freedom either advances or recedes. Heritage Action’s new legislative scorecard allows Americans to see whether their Members of Congress are fighting for freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society. The scorecard is comprehensive, covering the full spectrum of conservatism, and includes legislative action on issues both large and small.

Heritage Action’s legislative scorecard isn’t graded on a curve – it is tough and we don’t apologize. After all, we are conservatives, not tenured university professors.

A look at who made the top 10:

1. Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) — 99 percent.
2. Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah) — 98 percent.
3. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R., S.C.) — 97 percent.
4. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R., Utah) — 96 percent.
5. Rep. Trent Franks (R., Ariz.) — 96 percent.
6. Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) — 96 percent.
7. Rep. Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.) — 95 percent.
8. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R., S.C.) — 95 percent.
9. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R., Minn.) — 94 percent.
10. Rep. Joe Wilson (R., S.C.) — 94 percent.

Here’s how other notable members fared:

• Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) — 93 percent.
• Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) — 93 percent.
• Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) — 78 percent.
• Rep. Allen West (R., Fla.) — 74 percent.
• Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) — 72 percent.
• Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.) — 60 percent.

As well as the Republican appointees to the “supercommittee”:

• Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) — 87 percent.
• Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R., Texas) — 84 percent.
• Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) — 77 percent.
• Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) — 76 percent.
• Rep. Dave Camp (R., Mich.) — 57 percent.
• Rep. Fred Upton (R., Mich.) — 48 percent.

The lowest-scoring Republican was Rep. Dave Reichert (R., Wash.) at 30 percent, which was below the highest-scoring Democrat, Rep. Dan Boren (D., Okla.), who received 37 percent. Twenty-eight Democrats, most of them senators, scored zero percent.

More here.

[freespirited]

These ratings make clear that it does matter which party wins.

[lahargis]

Nice to see Michelle at #9. Also interesting to see Allen West and Paul Ryan in the 70s. hmmmm

[MNJohnnie]

These ratings make clear that it does matter which party wins.

Then you are not bothering to read them.

[mirkwood]

I am working on it, but I have a long way to go:
ME 2 Rep. Michael Michaud D 10%
ME 1 Rep. Chellie Pingree D 14%
ME ME Sen. Susan Collins R 45%
ME ME Sen. Olympia Snowe R 51%