May 16, 2012 | by: Barney Keller

Freshmen Vote Study: "Just How Tea Party Are They?"

The Club put out a Freshman Vote Study yesterday, based completely on the scores received by the so-called "Tea Party" class of Republicans elected in 2010  on our Congressional Scorecard. You can find the study here: http://www.clubforgrowth.org/freshmanvotestudy/.

After a careful review to see if their records match their rhetoric, we found that for many of the freshmen Republicans, promises of fiscal responsibility have proven to be empty.

Our review of the voting records of freshmen Republicans on economic issues found:

• In 2011, freshmen Republicans received an average score of 71% on the Club for Growth’s Congressional Scorecard. The average veteran received a 69%. This means the freshmen Republicans voted, on average, about the same as the Republicans who were already in Congress.
• A majority of freshmen Republicans voted against the conservative Republican Study Committee budget.
• Only 14 freshmen Republicans signed a pledge promising never to raise the debt ceiling until “Cut, Cap, and Balance” had passed.
• “Tea Party star” Rep. Allen West received an anemic 64% for voting to raise the debt ceiling and by repeatedly voting against spending cuts.
• The two freshmen in the Republican Leadership received vastly different scores, with Rep. Tim Scott receiving a 92% and Rep. Kristi Noem receiving a 60%.
• Charlie Bass ran for the seat he lost in 2006 by declaring that the agenda of the tea party “is exactly the same as mine.” He received a pathetic 48% in 2011.
• The Ten Highest scoring freshmen Republicans were Reps. Amash (100%), Huelskamp (100%), Labrador (100%), Mulvaney (99%), Walsh (99%), Stutzman (99%), Quayle (98%), Duncan (97%), Gowdy (97%) and Ross (96%).
• The Ten Lowest scoring freshmen Republicans were Reps. Rivera (47%), Grimm (46%), Stivers (45%), Runyan (45%), Gibson (44%), Hanna (44%), Fitzpatrick (43%), Dold (42%), Meehan (42%) and McKinley (37%).

If you haven't yet, feel free to check out our entire 2011 Congressional Scorecard (and prior scorecards) by clicking here.

---

More Headlines:

House Passes Ex-Im Bank Bill, 330-93

Key Vote Alert - "YES" on Pompeo Amendment to CJS Approps (HR 5326)

Senator Mike Lee: Big Government is like Godzilla

Key Vote Alert - "NO" on Student Loan Subsidies (S 2343)

Key Vote Alert - "NO" on Student Loan Subsidies (HR 4628)

---

View All: Go to Blog & News