Club for Growth Announces Annual Congressional Scorecard

Washington, DC – Today, Club for Growth announced its publication of the 2017 Club for Growth Foundation’s Congressional Scorecard, which ranks the voting behavior of Members of Congress based on issues relating to limited government and economic growth.

 

To view the Club for Growth Foundation’s 2017 Congressional Scorecard, click here. To view all prior Club for Growth Scorecards, click here.

 

“The first year of the Trump’s presidency was a good one for economic freedom,” stated Club for Growth President David McIntosh. “Between the efforts to roll back regulations and the historic pro-growth tax reform, Club for Growth saw an increase in the number of members earning the distinction of a ‘Defender of Economic Freedom.’”

 

Based on the scorecard, twenty-nine Members of Congress and seven Senators will receive the Club for Growth’s Defender of Economic Freedom Award for 2017. Starting in 2011, Club for Growth required Representatives and Senators to not only score 90% or better on votes cast in a year, but to also maintain a lifetime rating of at least 90%.

 

Starting in 2018, Club for Growth will also begin to monitor the voting records of Members of Congress who were previously elected with the support of the Club for Growth PAC. Beginning with the 2018 Scorecard, any member who earns a score between 70-79% will be placed on a “Watch List.” Any member earning 69% or below will be placed on a “Warning List.” The purpose of this is to alert members of the Club for Growth that the lawmakers are deviating from their support for economic freedom.

 

Highlights from the Club for Growth Foundation’s 2017 Congressional Scorecard

 

Three United States Senators received a perfect score in 2017. The three Senators with a 100% score were: Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and James Lankford (R-OK). Of those, two had a lifetime ranking of 90% or better: Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Pat Toomey (R-PA).

 

In addition, Senators Ben Sasse (R-NE), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Tim Scott (R-SC) had 2017 scores high enough to qualify for the Defender of Economic Freedom award.

 

Twenty-nine House members who received scores of 90% or better in 2017 also had lifetime scores of 90% or better to qualify for the Defender of Economic Freedom award.

 

Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05) was the lone House member to receive a 100% rating in 2017.

 

Four Senate Democrats and one Independent and 62 House Democrats scored zero in 2017.

 

For the third consecutive year, the lowest ranked Republican Senator was Susan Collins (ME) at 42%, and the lowest ranked Republican House member was Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) at 24%.

 

Republican leadership scores in 2017 were:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) – 81%

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (TX) – 81%

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (SD) – 81%

Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Barrasso (WY) – 87%

House Speaker Paul Ryan (WI-01) – N/A

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) – 64%

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01) –81%

House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) – 76%

 

The 2017 Congressional Scorecard was produced by the Club for Growth Foundation, an entity related to the Club for Growth. The Scorecard is based on 23 votes taken in the House of Representatives and 19 votes taken in the Senate.