Scorecard 115-4 - The New American
Skip to content

Freedom Index

A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution

The New American  »  Freedom Index  »  Reports  »  Scorecard 115-4

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 115-4

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
House

Senate

1. NATO

Good Vote: No

Sen. Jack Reed's (D-R.I.) motion on HR 5515 NATO (Agreed 97 to 2 on 7/10/2018, Roll Call 149). To reaffirm the U.S. commitment to NATO.

2. Planned Parenthood

Good Vote: Yes

Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) amendment to HR 6157 Planned Parenthood (Rejected 45 to 48 on 8/23/2018, Roll Call 191). To prohibit federal funding of Planned Parenthood.

3. Appropriations for Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, and Continuing Appropriations

Good Vote: No

HR 6157 Defense-Labor-HHS-Education and Continuing Appropriations (Adopted 93 to 7 on 9/18/2018, Roll Call 212). Would provide $855.1 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2019.

4. FAA Reauthorization and Supplemental Disaster Appropriations

Good Vote: No

HR 302 FAA Reauthorization and Supplemental Disaster Appropriations (Passed 93 to 6 on 10/3/2018, Roll Call 220). Reauthorizes appropriations for the FAA and TSA, as well as $1.7 billion for Hurricane Florence disaster relief. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.

5. Short-Term Health Insurance Plans

Good Vote: No

SJR 63 Short-Term Health Insurance Plans (Rejected 50 to 50 on 10/10/2018, Roll Call 226). Would nullify the rule from the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and HHS that would expand the duration of short-term health insurance plans. See U.S. Const., amend. 10.

6. Yemen

Good Vote: Yes

Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) motion on SJR 54 Yemen (Agreed 63 to 37 on 11/28/2018, Roll Call 250). To advance Senate Joint Res. 54, which would remove U.S. Armed Forces from "hostilities" in Yemen that have "not been authorized by Congress.”

Legislator Scores

Legend: [ + ] Constitutional Vote[ - ] Unconstitutional Vote[ . ] Did not Vote
Name Party State Score 123456
Lamar Alexander R TN 60% .+--++
Tammy Baldwin D WI 17% -----+
John Barrasso R WY 50% -+-++-
Michael Bennet D CO 17% -----+
Marsha Blackburn R TN NA ......
Richard Blumenthal D CT 17% -----+
Roy Blunt R MO 33% -+--+-
Cory Booker D NJ 17% -----+
John Boozman R AR 33% -+--+-
Sherrod Brown D OH 17% -----+
Ted Budd R NC NA ......
Richard Burr R NC 33% -+--+-
Maria Cantwell D WA 17% -----+
Shelley Capito R WV 33% -+--+-
Benjamin Cardin D MD 17% -----+
Thomas Carper D DE 17% -----+
Robert Casey D PA 17% -----+
Bill Cassidy R LA 50% -+--++
Thad Cochran R MS NA ......
Susan Collins R ME 17% -----+
Chris Coons D DE 17% -----+
Bob Corker R TN 50% ..--++
John Cornyn R TX 33% -+--+-
Catherine Cortez Masto D NV 17% -----+
Tom Cotton R AR 33% -+--+-
Kevin Cramer R ND NA ......
Michael Crapo R ID 33% -+--+-
Ted Cruz R TX 25% -.-.+-
Steve Daines R MT 50% -+--++
Joe Donnelly D IN 20% .----+
Tammy Duckworth D IL 17% -----+
Richard Durbin D IL 17% -----+
Michael Enzi R WY 40% .+--+-
Joni Ernst R IA 33% -+--+-
Dianne Feinstein D CA 17% -----+
Deb Fischer R NE 20% -.--+-
Jeff Flake R AZ 80% .++-++
Al Franken D MN NA ......
Cory Gardner R CO 40% .+--+-
Kirsten Gillibrand D NY 17% -----+
Lindsey Graham R SC 50% -+--++
Charles Grassley R IA 33% -+--+-
Kamala Harris D CA 20% .----+
Margaret Hassan D NH 17% -----+
Orrin Hatch R UT 40% .+--+-
Martin Heinrich D NM 17% -----+
Heidi Heitkamp D ND 20% .----+
Dean Heller R NV 40% .+--+-
Mazie Hirono D HI 20% -.---+
John Hoeven R ND 33% -+--+-
Cindy Hyde-Smith R MS 33% -+--+-
James Inhofe R OK 33% -+--+-
John Isakson R GA 40% .+--+-
Ron Johnson R WI 33% -+--+-
Doug Jones D AL 20% .----+
Timothy Kaine D VA 17% -----+
John Kennedy R LA 33% -+--+-
Angus King I ME 17% -----+
Amy Klobuchar D MN 17% -----+
Jon Kyl R AZ 25% ..--+-
James Lankford R OK 33% -+--+-
Patrick Leahy D VT 17% -----+
Mike Lee R UT 100% ++++++
Ben Lujan D NM NA ......
Joe Manchin D WV 17% -----+
Edward Markey D MA 33% ---+-+
Roger Marshall R KS NA ......
John McCain R AZ NA ......
Claire McCaskill D MO 20% .----+
Mitch McConnell R KY 33% -+--+-
Martha McSally R AZ NA ......
Robert Menendez D NJ 17% -----+
Jeff Merkley D OR 33% ---+-+
Jerry Moran R KS 50% -+--++
Markwayne Mullin R OK NA ......
Lisa Murkowski R AK 33% ----++
Christopher Murphy D CT 17% -----+
Patty Murray D WA 20% -.---+
Bill Nelson D FL 20% .----+
Rand Paul R KY 100% ++++++
David Perdue R GA 60% .++-+-
Gary Peters D MI 17% -----+
Robert Portman R OH 50% -+--++
John Reed D RI 17% -----+
James Risch R ID 33% -+--+-
Pat Roberts R KS 40% .+--+-
Jacky Rosen D NV NA ......
Mike Rounds R SD 33% -+--+-
Marco Rubio R FL 33% -+--+-
Bernard Sanders I VT 33% --+--+
Benjamin Sasse R NE 50% -++-+-
Brian Schatz D HI 20% -.---+
Charles Schumer D NY 17% -----+
Tim Scott R SC 33% -+--+-
Jefferson Sessions R AL NA ......
Jeanne Shaheen D NH 17% -----+
Richard Shelby R AL 33% -+--+-
Kyrsten Sinema D AZ NA ......
Tina Smith D MN 17% -----+
Debbie Stabenow D MI 17% -----+
Luther Strange R AL NA ......
Dan Sullivan R AK 33% -+--+-
Jon Tester D MT 17% -----+
John Thune R SD 33% -+--+-
Thom Tillis R NC 33% -+--+-
Patrick Toomey R PA 67% -++-++
Tom Udall D NM 20% .----+
Chris Van Hollen D MD 17% -----+
Mark Warner D VA 17% -----+
Elizabeth Warren D MA 17% -----+
Peter Welch D VT NA ......
Sheldon Whitehouse D RI 17% -----+
Roger Wicker R MS 33% -+--+-
Ron Wyden D OR 33% ---+-+
Todd Young R IN 50% -+--++

Average Constitutional Score by Party

Party Score
Republican 34.5%
Democrat 16.9%
Independent 25%