Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution

The Congressional Scorecard is a nationwide educational program of The John Birch Society. Its purpose is to create an informed electorate on how members of Congress are voting. The Scorecard is nonpartisan; it does not promote any candidate or political party. Bills are selected for their constitutional implications and cost to the taxpayers.

Please share this Scorecard in your district to inform people about the constitutionality of their congressman's votes.
U.S. Constitution, Amendment I --- 11 C.F.R. §114(4)(c)(4) --- 616 F.2d 45 (2d Cir. 1980)

Congressional Scorecard

Based on the U.S. Constitution

Scorecard 107-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 107th Congress (January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003) and ranks congressmen based on his or her fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate

House

Senate

1. Constitutional Amendment to Allow Federal Regulation of Political Speech

Good Vote: No

SJR 4 Constitutional Amendment: Political Speech (Rejected 40 to 56 on 3/26/2001, Roll Call 47). Would adopt a constitutional amendment to give Congress "power to set reasonable limits" on federal campaign contributions and expenditures. See U.S. Const., amend. 1.

2. Gun Buyback Programs

Good Vote: Yes

Sen. Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) amendment to HR 2620 Gun Buyback Programs (Tabled 65 to 33 on 8/2/2001, Roll Call 267). To make available $15 million for "gun buyback initiatives." See U.S. Const., amend. 2.

3. Anti-Terrorism Authority

Good Vote: No

HR 3162 Anti-Terrorism Authority (Passed 98 to 1 on 10/25/2001, Roll Call 313). Would create the "USA Patriot Act," giving law enforcement and intelligence agencies vast new powers to combat terrorism. See U.S. Const., amend. 4.

4. Education

Good Vote: No

HR 1 Education (Passed 87 to 10 on 12/18/2001, Roll Call 371). Would, as the "No Child Left Behind Act," overhaul education proposals to increase school accountability and reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for six years. See U.S. Const., amend. 10.

5. Debt Limit Increase

Good Vote: No

S 2578 Debt Limit (Passed 68 to 29 on 6/11/2002, Roll Call 148). Would increase the public debt limit by $450 billion for a new ceiling of $6.4 trillion. See U.S. Const., Art. 1, Sec. 8.

6. War Authorization Against Iraq

Good Vote: No

HJR 114 War Authorization Against Iraq (Passed 77 to 23 on 10/11/2002, Roll Call 237). Authorizes the use of U.S. military force against Iraq, including to enforce any related UN Security Council resolutions.

Legislator Scores

Legend: [ + ] Constitutional Vote[ - ] Unconstitutional Vote[ . ] Did not Vote

Name	Party	State	Score	1	2	3	4	5	6
Daniel Akaka	D	HI	40%	+	-	-	.	-	+
Wayne Allard	R	CO	40%	.	+	-	-	+	-
George Allen	R	VA	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Tammy Baldwin	D	WI	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Max Baucus	D	MT	20%	.	+	-	-	-	-
Evan Bayh	D	IN	33%	-	+	-	-	+	-
Robert Bennett	R	UT	50%	+	+	-	+	-	-
Joseph Biden	D	DE	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jeff Bingaman	D	NM	33%	-	+	-	-	-	+
Roy Blunt	R	MO	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Christopher Bond	R	MO	40%	+	+	-	-	.	-
John Boozman	R	AR	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Barbara Boxer	D	CA	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
John Breaux	D	LA	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Sherrod Brown	D	OH	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Samuel Brownback	R	KS	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Jim Bunning	R	KY	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Conrad Burns	R	MT	20%	.	+	-	-	-	-
Richard Burr	R	NC	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Robert Byrd	D	WV	33%	-	+	-	-	-	+
Ben Campbell	R	CO	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Maria Cantwell	D	WA	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Shelley Capito	R	WV	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Benjamin Cardin	D	MD	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Jean Carnahan	D	MO	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Thomas Carper	D	DE	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Lincoln Chafee	R	RI	67%	+	+	-	-	+	+
Saxby Chambliss	R	GA	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
J. Cleland	D	GA	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Hillary Clinton	D	NY	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Thad Cochran	R	MS	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Susan Collins	R	ME	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Kent Conrad	D	ND	50%	-	+	-	-	+	+
Jon Corzine	D	NJ	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Larry Craig	R	ID	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Michael Crapo	R	ID	40%	+	+	-	-	.	-
Thomas Daschle	D	SD	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mark Dayton	D	MN	50%	-	-	-	+	+	+
Jim DeMint	R	SC	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Michael DeWine	R	OH	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Christopher Dodd	D	CT	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pete Domenici	R	NM	20%	+	.	-	-	-	-
Byron Dorgan	D	ND	33%	-	+	-	-	+	-
Richard Durbin	D	IL	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
John Edwards	D	NC	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
John Ensign	R	NV	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Michael Enzi	R	WY	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Russell Feingold	D	WI	100%	+	+	+	+	+	+
Dianne Feinstein	D	CA	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Peter Fitzgerald	R	IL	33%	+	-	-	-	+	-
Jeff Flake	R	AZ	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
William Frist	R	TN	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Bob Graham	D	FL	33%	-	-	-	-	+	+
Lindsey Graham	R	SC	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Phil Gramm	R	TX	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Charles Grassley	R	IA	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Judd Gregg	R	NH	20%	+	.	-	-	-	-
Charles Hagel	R	NE	50%	+	+	-	+	-	-
Thomas Harkin	D	IA	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Orrin Hatch	R	UT	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Jesse Helms	R	NC	50%	+	+	-	.	.	-
Ernest Hollings	D	SC	33%	-	-	-	+	+	-
Tim Hutchinson	R	AR	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Kay Hutchison	R	TX	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
James Inhofe	R	OK	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Daniel Inouye	D	HI	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
John Isakson	R	GA	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
James Jeffords	I	VT	67%	+	+	-	+	-	+
Tim Johnson	D	SD	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Ted Kennedy	D	MA	33%	+	-	-	-	-	+
John Kerry	D	MA	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mark Kirk	R	IL	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Herbert Kohl	D	WI	17%	+	-	-	-	-	-
Jon Kyl	R	AZ	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Mary Landrieu	D	LA	0%	.	-	.	-	-	-
Patrick Leahy	D	VT	67%	+	+	-	+	-	+
Carl Levin	D	MI	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
Joseph Lieberman	I	CT	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blanche Lincoln	D	AR	33%	-	+	-	-	+	-
Trent Lott	R	MS	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Richard Lugar	R	IN	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Edward Markey	D	MA	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
John McCain	R	AZ	33%	-	+	-	-	+	-
Mitch McConnell	R	KY	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Robert Menendez	D	NJ	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Barbara Mikulski	D	MD	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
Zell Miller	D	GA	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Jerry Moran	R	KS	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Frank Murkowski	R	AK	40%	+	+	-	.	-	-
Patty Murray	D	WA	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
Ben Nelson	D	NE	50%	+	+	-	+	-	-
Bill Nelson	D	FL	17%	+	-	-	-	-	-
Don Nickles	R	OK	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Robert Portman	R	OH	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
John Reed	D	RI	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
Harry Reid	D	NV	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Pat Roberts	R	KS	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
John Rockefeller	D	WV	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Bernard Sanders	I	VT	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Rick Santorum	R	PA	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Paul Sarbanes	D	MD	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
Charles Schumer	D	NY	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jefferson Sessions	R	AL	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Richard Shelby	R	AL	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Bob Smith	R	NH	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Gordon Smith	R	OR	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Olympia Snowe	R	ME	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Arlen Specter	D	PA	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Debbie Stabenow	D	MI	33%	-	-	-	-	+	+
Ted Stevens	R	AK	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
John Sununu	R	NH	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Craig Thomas	R	WY	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Fred Thompson	R	TN	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
John Thune	R	SD	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
J. Thurmond	R	SC	33%	+	+	-	-	-	-
Patrick Toomey	R	PA	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Robert Torricelli	D	NJ	33%	+	-	-	-	+	-
Mark Udall	D	CO	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tom Udall	D	NM	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
David Vitter	R	LA	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
George Voinovich	R	OH	50%	+	+	-	+	-	-
John Warner	R	VA	50%	+	+	-	-	+	-
Paul Wellstone	D	MN	50%	+	-	-	+	-	+
Roger Wicker	R	MS	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Ron Wyden	D	OR	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party	Score
Democrat	21.6%
Republican	28.2%
Independent	22.3%

Freedom Index

A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution