Freedom Index

A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution

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 115-1

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)

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 115th Congress (January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019) and ranks congressmen based on his or her fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate

1. Balancing the Budget

Good Vote: Yes

Senator Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) amendment to SCR 14 Balancing the Budget (Rejected 14 to 83 on 1/9/2017, Roll Call 3). Would remove $9.7 trillion worth of new debt and balance the budget by 2024.

2. Stream Protection Rule

Good Vote: Yes

HJR 38 Stream Protection Rule (Passed 54 to 45 on 2/2/2017, Roll Call 43). Would nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued in 2016 by the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

3. Firearms Purchases

Good Vote: Yes

HJR 40 Firearms Purchases (Passed 57 to 43 on 2/15/2017, Roll Call 66). Would nullify a Social Security rule that outlines reporting information on individuals to the FBI's firearm background checks system (NICS).

4. Federal Family Planning

Good Vote: Yes

HJR 43 Federal Family Planning (Passed 50 to 50 on 3/30/2017, Roll Call 101). Would nullify a HHS rule that prevents states that distribute federal family planning funding from prohibiting receipt of funds by abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood.

5. Omnibus Appropriations

Good Vote: No

HR 244 Omnibus Appropriations (Passed 79 to 18 on 5/4/2017, Roll Call 121). Would provide $1.16 trillion in discretionary appropriations through September 30, 2017. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.

6. Iranian and Russian Sanctions

Good Vote: No

S 722 Iranian and Russian Sanctions (Passed 98 to 2 on 6/15/2017, Roll Call 147). Would impose new sanctions on Iran and Russia, and codify sanctions imposed by the Obama administration on Russia.

Legislator Scores

Legend: [ + ] Constitutional Vote[ - ] Unconstitutional Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party State Score 123456
Lamar Alexander R TN 50% -+++--
Tammy Baldwin D WI 0% ------
John Barrasso R WY 50% -+++--
Michael Bennet D CO 0% ------
Marsha Blackburn R TN NA ......
Richard Blumenthal D CT 0% ------
Roy Blunt R MO 60% .+++--
Cory Booker D NJ 0% ------
John Boozman R AR 50% -+++--
Sherrod Brown D OH 0% ------
Ted Budd R NC NA ......
Richard Burr R NC 50% -+++--
Maria Cantwell D WA 0% ------
Shelley Capito R WV 50% -+++--
Benjamin Cardin D MD 0% ------
Thomas Carper D DE 0% ------
Robert Casey D PA 0% ------
Bill Cassidy R LA 50% -+++--
Thad Cochran R MS 50% -+++--
Susan Collins R ME 17% --+---
Chris Coons D DE 0% ------
Bob Corker R TN 67% -++++-
John Cornyn R TX 50% -+++--
Catherine Cortez Masto D NV 0% ------
Tom Cotton R AR 67% -++++-
Kevin Cramer R ND NA ......
Michael Crapo R ID 83% +++++-
Ted Cruz R TX 83% +++++-
Steve Daines R MT 83% +++++-
Joe Donnelly D IN 33% -++---
Tammy Duckworth D IL 0% ------
Richard Durbin D IL 0% ----.-
Michael Enzi R WY 50% -+++--
Joni Ernst R IA 67% -++++-
Dianne Feinstein D CA 0% ------
Deb Fischer R NE 67% -++++-
Jeff Flake R AZ 83% +++++-
Al Franken D MN 0% ------
Cory Gardner R CO 50% -+++--
Kirsten Gillibrand D NY 0% ------
Lindsey Graham R SC 80% .++++-
Charles Grassley R IA 67% -++++-
Kamala Harris D CA 0% ------
Margaret Hassan D NH 0% ------
Orrin Hatch R UT 50% -+++--
Martin Heinrich D NM 0% ------
Heidi Heitkamp D ND 33% -++---
Dean Heller R NV 67% -++++-
Mazie Hirono D HI 0% ------
John Hoeven R ND 50% -+++--
Cindy Hyde-Smith R MS NA ......
James Inhofe R OK 50% -+++--
John Isakson R GA 60% -+++.-
Ron Johnson R WI 50% -+++--
Doug Jones D AL NA ......
Timothy Kaine D VA 0% ------
John Kennedy R LA 83% +++++-
Angus King I ME 17% --+---
Amy Klobuchar D MN 0% ------
Jon Kyl R AZ NA ......
James Lankford R OK 67% ++++--
Patrick Leahy D VT 0% ------
Mike Lee R UT 83% +++++-
Ben Lujan D NM NA ......
Joe Manchin D WV 33% -++---
Edward Markey D MA 0% ------
Roger Marshall R KS NA ......
John McCain R AZ 50% -+++--
Claire McCaskill D MO 17% -+----
Mitch McConnell R KY 50% -+++--
Martha McSally R AZ NA ......
Robert Menendez D NJ 0% ------
Jeff Merkley D OR 0% ------
Jerry Moran R KS 67% ++++--
Markwayne Mullin R OK NA ......
Lisa Murkowski R AK 33% -++---
Christopher Murphy D CT 0% ------
Patty Murray D WA 0% ------
Bill Nelson D FL 0% ------
Rand Paul R KY 100% ++++++
David Perdue R GA 50% -+++--
Gary Peters D MI 0% ------
Robert Portman R OH 50% -+++--
John Reed D RI 0% ------
James Risch R ID 83% +++++-
Pat Roberts R KS 50% -+++--
Jacky Rosen D NV NA ......
Mike Rounds R SD 50% -+++--
Marco Rubio R FL 67% ++++--
Bernard Sanders I VT 17% -----+
Benjamin Sasse R NE 80% ++++.-
Brian Schatz D HI 0% ------
Charles Schumer D NY 0% ------
Tim Scott R SC 83% +++++-
Jefferson Sessions R AL 0% -.....
Jeanne Shaheen D NH 0% ------
Richard Shelby R AL 50% -+++--
Kyrsten Sinema D AZ NA ......
Tina Smith D MN NA ......
Debbie Stabenow D MI 0% ------
Luther Strange R AL 75% ..+++-
Dan Sullivan R AK 50% -+++--
Jon Tester D MT 17% --+---
John Thune R SD 50% -+++--
Thom Tillis R NC 60% .+++--
Patrick Toomey R PA 83% +++++-
Tom Udall D NM 0% ------
Chris Van Hollen D MD 0% ------
Mark Warner D VA 0% ------
Elizabeth Warren D MA 0% ------
Peter Welch D VT NA ......
Sheldon Whitehouse D RI 0% ------
Roger Wicker R MS 50% -+++--
Ron Wyden D OR 0% ------
Todd Young R IN 50% -+++--

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 51.9%
Democrat 2.6%
Independent 17%