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 110-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 110th Congress (January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009) and ranks congressmen based on his or her fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate

House

Senate

1. Bailout Bill

Good Vote: No

HR1424 Bailout Bill (Passed 74 to 25 on 10/01/2008, Roll Call 681). Authorizes the Treasury Department to use $700 billion of taxpayer money to purchase troubled mortgage-related securities from banks and other financial-related institutions.

2. Farm Bill (Veto Override)

Good Vote: No

HR6124 Farm Bill (Veto Override) (Passed 80 to 14 on 6/18/2008, Roll Call 151). Would authorize the nation's farm programs for the next five years, including crop subsidies and nutrition programs.

3. Global Warming

Good Vote: No

Amendment to S3036 Global Warming (Failed 48 to 36 on 6/6/2008, Roll Call 145). Would have created a cap-and-trade system for reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

4. Peru Free Trade Agreement

Good Vote: No

HR3688 Peru Free Trade Agreement (Passed 77 to 18 on 12/4/2007, Roll Call 413). Transfers the power to regulate trade (and other powers as well) to regional arrangements.

5. Debt Limit Increase

Good Vote: No

HJR43 Debt Limit Increase (Passed 53 to 42 on 9/27/2007, Roll Call 354). Would increase the national debt limit to an astronomical $9.8 trillion, an $850 billion increase.

6. Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

Good Vote: Yes

Amendment to S1348 Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants (Rejected 29 to 66 on 5/24/2007, Roll Call 180). Would drastically alter the scope of the immigration bill by striking an amnesty provision from the bill that would establish the Z visa.

Legislator Scores

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

Name	Party	State	Score	1	2	3	4	5	6
Daniel Akaka	D	HI	17%	-	-	-	+	-	-
Lamar Alexander	R	TN	50%	-	-	+	-	+	+
Wayne Allard	R	CO	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Tammy Baldwin	D	WI	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
John Barrasso	R	WY	40%	+	-	+	-	-	.
Max Baucus	D	MT	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
Evan Bayh	D	IN	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Robert Bennett	R	UT	33%	-	+	+	-	-	-
Joseph Biden	D	DE	0%	-	-	.	.	.	-
Jeff Bingaman	D	NM	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Marsha Blackburn	R	TN	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Roy Blunt	R	MO	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Christopher Bond	R	MO	33%	-	-	+	-	-	+
John Boozman	R	AR	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Barbara Boxer	D	CA	33%	-	-	-	+	+	-
Sherrod Brown	D	OH	50%	-	-	+	+	+	-
Samuel Brownback	R	KS	50%	+	-	+	-	.	.
Jim Bunning	R	KY	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Richard Burr	R	NC	33%	-	-	+	-	+	-
Robert Byrd	D	WV	50%	-	.	.	+	-	+
Maria Cantwell	D	WA	17%	+	-	-	-	-	-
Shelley Capito	R	WV	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Benjamin Cardin	D	MD	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Thomas Carper	D	DE	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Robert Casey	D	PA	17%	-	-	-	+	-	-
Saxby Chambliss	R	GA	33%	-	-	+	-	+	-
Hillary Clinton	D	NY	0%	-	.	.	.	.	-
Thomas Coburn	R	OK	67%	-	+	+	-	+	+
Thad Cochran	R	MS	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
Norm Coleman	R	MN	0%	-	-	.	-	-	-
Susan Collins	R	ME	17%	-	+	-	-	-	-
Kent Conrad	D	ND	0%	-	-	.	-	-	-
Bob Corker	R	TN	33%	-	-	+	-	-	+
John Cornyn	R	TX	20%	-	-	.	-	+	-
Larry Craig	R	ID	20%	-	-	.	-	+	-
Michael Crapo	R	ID	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Jim DeMint	R	SC	80%	+	+	.	-	+	+
Christopher Dodd	D	CT	20%	-	-	-	.	+	-
Elizabeth Dole	R	NC	50%	+	-	-	-	+	+
Pete Domenici	R	NM	20%	-	.	+	-	-	-
Joe Donnelly	D	IN	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Byron Dorgan	D	ND	67%	+	-	+	+	-	+
Richard Durbin	D	IL	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
John Ensign	R	NV	50%	-	+	+	-	+	-
Michael Enzi	R	WY	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
Russell Feingold	D	WI	33%	+	-	-	+	-	-
Dianne Feinstein	D	CA	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jeff Flake	R	AZ	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Kirsten Gillibrand	D	NY	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Lindsey Graham	R	SC	20%	-	-	.	-	+	-
Charles Grassley	R	IA	33%	-	-	+	-	-	+
Judd Gregg	R	NH	20%	-	+	.	-	-	-
Charles Hagel	R	NE	33%	-	+	+	-	-	-
Thomas Harkin	D	IA	33%	-	-	-	+	+	-
Orrin Hatch	R	UT	20%	-	-	+	-	-	.
Dean Heller	R	NV	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Mazie Hirono	D	HI	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Kay Hutchison	R	TX	33%	-	-	+	-	+	-
James Inhofe	R	OK	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Daniel Inouye	D	HI	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
John Isakson	R	GA	33%	-	-	+	-	+	-
Tim Johnson	D	SD	40%	+	-	+	-	-	.
Ted Kennedy	D	MA	0%	.	.	.	-	-	-
John Kerry	D	MA	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Mark Kirk	R	IL	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Amy Klobuchar	D	MN	33%	-	-	-	+	+	-
Herbert Kohl	D	WI	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Jon Kyl	R	AZ	50%	-	+	+	+	-	-
Mary Landrieu	D	LA	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
Frank Lautenberg	D	NJ	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Patrick Leahy	D	VT	33%	-	-	-	+	+	-
Carl Levin	D	MI	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Joseph Lieberman	I	CT	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blanche Lincoln	D	AR	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Trent Lott	R	MS	0%	.	.	.	-	-	-
Richard Lugar	R	IN	33%	-	+	+	-	-	-
Edward Markey	D	MA	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Mel Martinez	R	FL	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
John McCain	R	AZ	0%	-	.	.	.	.	-
Claire McCaskill	D	MO	50%	-	-	-	+	+	+
Mitch McConnell	R	KY	33%	-	-	+	-	-	+
Robert Menendez	D	NJ	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Barbara Mikulski	D	MD	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Jerry Moran	R	KS	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Lisa Murkowski	R	AK	20%	-	+	.	-	-	-
Christopher Murphy	D	CT	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Patty Murray	D	WA	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ben Nelson	D	NE	33%	-	-	-	-	+	+
Bill Nelson	D	FL	17%	+	-	-	-	-	-
Barack Obama	D	IL	0%	-	.	.	.	.	-
Mark Pryor	D	AR	33%	-	-	-	-	+	+
John Reed	D	RI	50%	-	+	-	+	+	-
Harry Reid	D	NV	17%	-	-	-	+	-	-
Pat Roberts	R	KS	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
John Rockefeller	D	WV	17%	-	-	-	-	-	+
Ken Salazar	D	CO	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Bernard Sanders	I	VT	50%	+	-	-	+	+	-
Charles Schumer	D	NY	0%	-	-	-	-	-	.
Jefferson Sessions	R	AL	67%	+	-	+	-	+	+
Richard Shelby	R	AL	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
Gordon Smith	R	OR	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Olympia Snowe	R	ME	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Arlen Specter	D	PA	0%	-	-	.	-	-	-
Debbie Stabenow	D	MI	33%	+	-	-	+	-	-
Ted Stevens	R	AK	0%	-	-	.	-	-	-
John Sununu	R	NH	33%	-	+	-	-	-	+
Jon Tester	D	MT	67%	+	-	-	+	+	+
Craig Thomas	R	WY	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
John Thune	R	SD	50%	-	-	+	-	+	+
Mark Udall	D	CO	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tom Udall	D	NM	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Chris Van Hollen	D	MD	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
David Vitter	R	LA	50%	+	-	+	-	-	+
George Voinovich	R	OH	50%	-	+	+	-	+	-
John Warner	R	VA	0%	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jim Webb	D	VA	17%	-	-	-	-	+	-
Peter Welch	D	VT	NA	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sheldon Whitehouse	D	RI	33%	-	+	-	+	-	-
Roger Wicker	R	MS	67%	+	-	+	.	.	.
Ron Wyden	D	OR	17%	+	-	-	-	-	-

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party	Score
Democrat	17.5%
Republican	30.3%
Independent	25%

Freedom Index

A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution