The Club's 2007 Senate RePORK Card
Club for Growth Releases 2007 Senate RePORK CardWashington – Today, the Club for Growth released its 2007 Senate RePORK Card, compiling a scorecard of all senators’ votes on fifteen anti-pork amendments throughout 2007. These amendments were offered by taxpayer heroes Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC).
“For all the talk about fiscal responsibility, it is clear that many senators are more interested in securing pet projects than living up to their campaign promises,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “Fortunately, taxpayers can look at the Club for Growth’s House and Senate RePORK Cards and hold their senators and representatives accountable for wasting taxpayer dollars on hippie museums and beaches.”
Some interesting numbers to consider:
- Only three senators received a perfect score of 100% (and were present for a majority of the votes): Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK), Jim DeMint (R-SC), and Richard Burr (R-NC).
- The only senator receiving a 0% was Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) who voted against all 10 anti-pork amendments he was present for.
- The average Republican score was 59%; the average Democratic score was 12%.
- The best scoring Democrat was Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) with an impressive 80%, tying with or scoring better than thirty-nine Republican senators.
- Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) scored a 53%; Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) scored a 7%, voting for only one amendment.
- Only two amendments were successful. The most popular amendment was offered by Senator DeMint to bar the use of funds appropriated for spinach growers in the Iraq Supplemental Bill (Roll Call #123, 03/29/07); it passed 97-0. The other amendment was offered by Senator Coburn to eliminate $1 million for a museum dedicated to the Woodstock Festival (Roll Call #377, 10/18/07); it passed 52-42.
Some of the targeted pork projects this year include:
- $100 million for the 2008 Republican and Democratic nominating conventions. Amendment failed 45-51.
- Adding sand to San Diego’s beaches. Amendment failed 12-77.
- Millions of dollars for bicycle paths instead of using the funds to improve bridge safety. Amendment failed 18-80. Watch Senator Coburn talk about his amendment.
- A visitors' center in Louisiana instead of providing shelter for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Amendment failed 11-79.
- Funds for a baseball field in Montana, the International Peace Garden in North Dakota, and a wetlands center in Louisiana. Amendment failed 32-63.
- $2 million for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York, requested by Charles B. Rangel. Amendment failed 34-61.
| Full | Score | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Coburn (R-OK) | 100% | 15 / 15 |
| DeMint (R-SC) | 100% | 13 / 13 |
| Burr (R-NC) | 100% | 15 / 15 |
| McCain (R-AZ) | 100% | 2 / 2 |
| Kyl (R-AZ) | 93% | 14 / 15 |
| Chambliss (R-GA) | 93% | 14 / 15 |
| Ensign (R-NV) | 93% | 14 / 15 |
| Graham (R-SC) | 92% | 11 / 12 |
| Barrasso (R-WY) | 90% | 9 / 10 |
| Bunning (R-KY) | 87% | 13 / 15 |
| Brownback (R-KS) | 80% | 8 / 10 |
| Sununu (R-NH) | 80% | 12 / 15 |
| Inhofe (R-OK) | 80% | 12 / 15 |
| Cornyn (R-TX) | 80% | 12 / 15 |
| Feingold (D-WI) | 80% | 12 / 15 |
| Isakson (R-GA) | 79% | 11 / 14 |
| Sessions, J. (R-AL) | 73% | 11 / 15 |
| Grassley (R-IA) | 73% | 11 / 15 |
| Vitter (R-LA) | 73% | 11 / 15 |
| Thune (R-SD) | 73% | 11 / 15 |
| Enzi (R-WY) | 69% | 9 / 13 |
| Allard (R-CO) | 67% | 10 / 15 |
| Crapo (R-ID) | 67% | 10 / 15 |
| Lugar (R-IN) | 67% | 10 / 15 |
| Dole (R-NC) | 62% | 8 / 13 |
| Martinez (R-FL) | 60% | 9 / 15 |
| Lott (R-MS) | 60% | 9 / 15 |
| Corker (R-TN) | 60% | 9 / 15 |
| McConnell (R-KY) | 53% | 8 / 15 |
| Hutchison (R-TX) | 53% | 8 / 15 |
| Craig (R-ID) | 50% | 5 / 10 |
| Hagel (R-NE) | 50% | 7 / 14 |
| Gregg (R-NH) | 47% | 7 / 15 |
| Smith, G. (R-OR) | 47% | 7 / 15 |
| Hatch (R-UT) | 47% | 7 / 15 |
| Shelby (R-AL) | 40% | 6 / 15 |
| Roberts (R-KS) | 40% | 6 / 15 |
| Bennett (R-UT) | 40% | 6 / 15 |
| McCaskill (D-MO) | 40% | 6 / 15 |
| Bayh (D-IN) | 36% | 5 / 14 |
| Coleman (R-MN) | 33% | 5 / 15 |
| Alexander, L. (R-TN) | 33% | 5 / 15 |
| Obama (D-IL) | 33% | 2 / 6 |
| Voinovich (R-OH) | 29% | 4 / 14 |
| Collins (R-ME) | 27% | 4 / 15 |
| Snowe (R-ME) | 27% | 4 / 15 |
| Murkowski (R-AK) | 20% | 3 / 15 |
| Biden (D-DE) | 17% | 1 / 6 |
| Rockefeller (D-WV) | 17% | 2 / 12 |
| Domenici (R-NM) | 15% | 2 / 13 |
| Warner (R-VA) | 15% | 2 / 13 |
| Lincoln (D-AR) | 14% | 2 / 14 |
| Dodd (D-CT) | 14% | 1 / 7 |
| Carper (D-DE) | 14% | 2 / 14 |
| Stevens (R-AK) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Cochran (R-MS) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Bond (R-MO) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Specter (R-PA) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Harkin (D-IA) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Landrieu (D-LA) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Tester (D-MT) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Bingaman (D-NM) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Webb (D-VA) | 13% | 2 / 15 |
| Clinton (D-NY) | 11% | 1 / 9 |
| Kennedy, E. (D-MA) | 9% | 1 / 11 |
| Brown, S. (D-OH) | 8% | 1 / 13 |
| Lieberman (I-CT) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Sanders (I-VT) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Pryor (D-AR) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Boxer (D-CA) | 7% | 1 / 14 |
| Feinstein (D-CA) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Salazar, K. (D-CO) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Nelson, Bill (D-FL) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Akaka (D-HI) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Inouye (D-HI) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Durbin (D-IL) | 7% | 1 / 14 |
| Cardin (D-MD) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Mikulski (D-MD) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Kerry (D-MA) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Levin, C. (D-MI) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Stabenow (D-MI) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Klobuchar (D-MN) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Baucus, M. (D-MT) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Nelson, Ben (D-NE) | 7% | 1 / 14 |
| Reid, H. (D-NV) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Lautenberg (D-NJ) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Menendez (D-NJ) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Schumer (D-NY) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Conrad (D-ND) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Dorgan (D-ND) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Wyden (D-OR) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Casey (D-PA) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Reed, J. (D-RI) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Whitehouse (D-RI) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Leahy (D-VT) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Cantwell (D-WA) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Murray (D-WA) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Byrd (D-WV) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Kohl (D-WI) | 7% | 1 / 15 |
| Johnson, Tim (D-SD) | 0% | 0 / 10 |
ROLL CALL VOTES
Senate Vote 121 - Bars funding of $100 million for the 2008 presidential nominating conventions. Amendment failed, 45-51.
Senate Vote 123 - Bars funding for payments to spinach crop growers and handlers. Amendment passed, 97-0.
Senate Vote 142 - Establishes a 60-vote point of order against legislation that would earmark funds authorized in the bill. Amendment failed, 22-71.
Senate Vote 163 - Bars funding for beach replenishment at Imperial Beach, Calif. Amendment failed, 12-77.
Senate Vote 164 - Bars funding for the construction of the Morgan City Visitor's Center in Louisiana until there's certification to Congress that all Louisiana residents displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita are no longer living in temporary housing. Amendment failed, 11-79.
Senate Vote 312 - Motion to kill an amendment that would strike language from the bill that would prohibit the disposal or transfer of property at the 388-acre Department of Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Medical Center in California. Motion passed, 66-25.
Senate Vote 330 - Motion to kill an amendment bar earmarks in the bill until all U.S. bridges classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete by the Federal Highway Administration's bridge inspection program are repaired. Motion passed, 82-14.
Senate Vote 333 - Motion to kill an amendment that would bar the use of funds in the bill for bicycle paths or trails. Motion passed 80-18.
Senate Vote 335 - Motion to killen bloc amendments that would bar funding for the International Peace Garden in Dunseith, N.D., reduce funding by $450,000 for the Economic Development Initiative and the Community Development Fund; delay design or construction of the America's Wetland Center in Lake Charles; and bar the use of funds in the bill for the construction of a new baseball stadium in Billings, Mont., and reduce funding by $500,000 for the Economic Development Initiative and the Community Development Fund. Motion passed, 63-32.
Senate Vote 356 - Bars funding for the National Drug Intelligence Center in Jamestown, Pa. Amendment failed, 26-69.
Senate Vote 363 - Motion to kill an amendment that would provide $1.7 million to investigate and prosecute unsolved civil rights crimes. It would be offset by decreasing or eliminating funding for certain earmarks in the measure. Motion passed, 61-31.
Senate Vote 373 - Bars funding for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service, City College of New York. Amendment failed, 34-61.
Senate Vote 377 - Motion to kill an amendment that would bar funding for a museum at the Bethel Performing Arts Center in Liberty, N.Y., memorializing the 1969 Woodstock music festival. Motion failed, 42-52.
Senate Vote 384 - Motion to kill an amendment that would bar funding for earmarks until the Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary certifies that all children under the age of 18 are covered under private or public health insurance plans. Motion passed, 68-26.
Senate Vote 385 - Motion to kill an amendment that would strike funds in the bill totaling $3.7 million for two AFL-CIO earmarks and designate those funds for Labor Department competitive grants. Motion passed, 60-34.
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