The latest (December 7) issue of The New American includes our second congressional scorecard on the 111th Congress. The scorecard, entitled “The Freedom Index: A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution,” rates Congressmen based on their adherence to constitutional principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, national sovereignty, and a traditional foreign policy of avoiding foreign entanglements.
Each installment of the “Freedom Index” shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on 10 key issues. Our just-published index includes House and Senate votes on several major appropriations bills and the cash-for-clunkers program; House votes on cap-and-trade and healthcare “reform”; and Senate votes on ACORN funding and the Sotomayor confirmation.
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The average House score for our new index (votes 11-20) is a dismal 38 percent, despite the fact that every Congressman takes an oath to uphold the Constitution. Forty-nine Congressmen earned 100 percent, as compared to three who earned 100-percent scores in the first “Freedom Index” (published in our July 20, 2009 issue) for the current Congress, and just one perfect scorer — Congressman Ron Paul of Texas — in our final index for the previous Congress (October 27, 2008 issue). Though the huge jump in 100-percent scores is encouraging, it must be kept in mind that many Republicans who are now voting against Obama- and Democrat-supported legislation often voted for big-government programs when they were in the majority and the President was a Republican. The average Senate score for this index is 32 percent. Three Senators scored 100 percent.
To download a free copy of the “Freedom Index” from our December 7 issue, click here. Please examine how your own U.S. representative and senators voted on each key issue, as well as overall. We also encourage readers to commend legislators for their constitutional votes and to urge improvement where needed.
Additional Resources:
For congressional contact information, click here.
For a series of pre-written letters to Congress on key issues, click here.
For a downloadable copy of our first Freedom Index for the 111th Congress (votes 1-10), click here.
