Scorecard 108-1 - The New American
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A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution

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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 108-1

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 108th Congress (January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005) and ranks congressmen based on his or her fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate
House

Senate

1. Moscow Treaty

Good Vote: No

Moscow Treaty (Ratified 95 to 0 on 3/6/2003, Roll Call 43). Would require both the United States and Russia to reduce their respective nuclear stockpiles to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads by 2012.

2. Roe v. Wade Support

Good Vote: No

Sen. Tom Harkin's (D-IA) amendment to S 3 Roe v. Wade Support (Adopted 52 to 46 on 3/12/2003, Roll Call 48). Declares that the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade secures an "important constitutional right" and "should not be overturned."

3. Data Mining

Good Vote: No

Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) amendment to S 1753 Data Mining (Tabled 61 to 32 on 11/4/2003, Roll Call 435). Would require each federal agency or department engaged in data mining to submit a public report to Congress. See U.S. Const., amend. 4.

4. Prescription Drug Benefit

Good Vote: No

HR 1 Prescription Drug Benefit (Passed 54 to 44 on 11/25/2003, Roll Call 459). Would create a prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients. See U.S. Const., Art. 1, Sec. 8.

5. Assault Weapons Ban

Good Vote: No

Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-CA) amendment to S 1805 Assault Weapons Ban (Adopted 52 to 47 on 3/2/2004, Roll Call 24). Would provide for a 10-year reauthorization of the so-called assault weapons ban. See U.S. Const., amend. 2.

6. Fiscal 2005 Budget Resolution

Good Vote: No

SCR 95 Fiscal 2005 Budget Resolution (Passed 51 to 45 on 3/12/2004, Roll Call 58). Would establish broad spending and revenue targets over the next five years, for a total budget of $2.4 trillion. See U.S. Const., Art. 1, Sec. 8.

Legislator Scores

Legend: [ + ] Constitutional Vote[ - ] Unconstitutional Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party State Score 123456
Daniel Akaka D HI 50% --++-+
Lamar Alexander R TN 33% -+--+-
Wayne Allard R CO 33% -+--+-
George Allen R VA 33% -+--+-
Tammy Baldwin D WI NA ......
Max Baucus D MT 33% ----++
Evan Bayh D IN 50% --++-+
Robert Bennett R UT 33% -+--+-
Joseph Biden D DE 60% -.++-+
Jeff Bingaman D NM 50% --++-+
Marsha Blackburn R TN NA ......
Roy Blunt R MO NA ......
Christopher Bond R MO 33% -+--+-
John Boozman R AR NA ......
Barbara Boxer D CA 50% --++-+
John Breaux D LA 33% -+---+
Sherrod Brown D OH NA ......
Samuel Brownback R KS 33% -+--+-
Jim Bunning R KY 40% -+.-+-
Conrad Burns R MT 33% -+--+-
Richard Burr R NC NA ......
Robert Byrd D WV 50% --++-+
Ben Campbell R CO 17% ----+-
Maria Cantwell D WA 50% --++-+
Shelley Capito R WV NA ......
Benjamin Cardin D MD NA ......
Thomas Carper D DE 17% -----+
Lincoln Chafee R RI 17% ---+--
Saxby Chambliss R GA 33% -+--+-
Hillary Clinton D NY 50% --++-+
Thad Cochran R MS 33% -+--+-
Norm Coleman R MN 33% -+--+-
Susan Collins R ME 0% ------
Kent Conrad D ND 33% --+--+
John Cornyn R TX 33% -+--+-
Jon Corzine D NJ 50% --++-+
Larry Craig R ID 33% -+--+-
Michael Crapo R ID 33% -+--+-
Thomas Daschle D SD 33% ---+-+
Mark Dayton D MN 50% --++-+
Jim DeMint R SC NA ......
Michael DeWine R OH 17% -+----
Christopher Dodd D CT 50% --++-+
Elizabeth Dole R NC 33% -+--+-
Pete Domenici R NM 40% .+--+-
Byron Dorgan D ND 33% --+--+
Richard Durbin D IL 50% --++-+
John Edwards D NC 25% --.+-.
John Ensign R NV 50% -+-++-
Michael Enzi R WY 33% -+--+-
Russell Feingold D WI 67% --++++
Dianne Feinstein D CA 33% --+--+
Peter Fitzgerald R IL 17% -+----
Jeff Flake R AZ NA ......
William Frist R TN 33% -+--+-
Bob Graham D FL 60% .-++-+
Lindsey Graham R SC 50% -+-++-
Charles Grassley R IA 33% -+--+-
Judd Gregg R NH 33% -+-+--
Charles Hagel R NE 50% -+-++-
Thomas Harkin D IA 50% --++-+
Orrin Hatch R UT 33% -+--+-
Ernest Hollings D SC 33% ---+-+
Kay Hutchison R TX 17% ----+-
James Inhofe R OK 33% -+--+-
Daniel Inouye D HI 33% ---+-+
John Isakson R GA NA ......
James Jeffords I VT 33% --+--+
Tim Johnson D SD 25% ---+..
Ted Kennedy D MA 50% --++-+
John Kerry D MA 0% --..-.
Mark Kirk R IL NA ......
Herbert Kohl D WI 50% --++-+
Jon Kyl R AZ 33% -+--+-
Mary Landrieu D LA 33% ----++
Frank Lautenberg D NJ 50% --++-+
Patrick Leahy D VT 50% --++-+
Carl Levin D MI 50% --++-+
Joseph Lieberman I CT 25% --..-+
Blanche Lincoln D AR 17% -----+
Trent Lott R MS 67% -+-+++
Richard Lugar R IN 17% -+----
Edward Markey D MA NA ......
John McCain R AZ 67% -++++-
Mitch McConnell R KY 33% ...-+-
Robert Menendez D NJ NA ......
Barbara Mikulski D MD 50% --++-+
Zell Miller D GA 40% .+--+-
Jerry Moran R KS NA ......
Lisa Murkowski R AK 17% ----+-
Patty Murray D WA 50% --++-+
Ben Nelson D NE 50% -+--++
Bill Nelson D FL 40% --.+-+
Don Nickles R OK 50% -+-++-
Robert Portman R OH NA ......
Mark Pryor D AR 50% -+-+-+
John Reed D RI 50% --++-+
Harry Reid D NV 80% -++++.
Pat Roberts R KS 33% -+--+-
John Rockefeller D WV 33% ---+-+
Bernard Sanders I VT NA ......
Rick Santorum R PA 33% -+--+-
Paul Sarbanes D MD 33% ---+-+
Charles Schumer D NY 50% --++-+
Jefferson Sessions R AL 33% -+--+-
Richard Shelby R AL 33% -+--+-
Gordon Smith R OR 20% .+----
Olympia Snowe R ME 0% ------
Arlen Specter D PA 17% ----+-
Debbie Stabenow D MI 50% --++-+
Ted Stevens R AK 17% ----+-
John Sununu R NH 50% -+-++-
James Talent R MO 33% -+--+-
Craig Thomas R WY 40% -+.-+-
Patrick Toomey R PA NA ......
Mark Udall D CO NA ......
Tom Udall D NM NA ......
Chris Van Hollen D MD NA ......
David Vitter R LA NA ......
George Voinovich R OH 17% -+----
John Warner R VA 0% ------
Roger Wicker R MS NA ......
Ron Wyden D OR 33% --+--+

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Democrat 36.5%
Republican 24.5%
Independent 19.3%