The latest edition of the Freedom Index, published by The New American magazine, reveals the 117th Congress’s level of adherence to the U.S. Constitution.
TNA first published the forerunner to the Freedom Index, then titled the Conservative Index, in 1971. The index received its current name in 2007 because the meaning of “conservative” had significantly changed since its introduction. The current index — the first one covering the 117th Congress — was published in the August 9, 2021 issue of TNA.
As Democrats hold a trifecta — they control the House, Senate, and the presidency — they immediately set about advancing their agenda, which is increasingly radical and extreme. Republicans, shut out of the opposite party’s negotiations, accordingly voted against many of the latter’s pet bills.
For example, the House of Representatives has passed a massive COVID-19 relief bill; the For the People Act, which would radically federalize American elections; a Washington, D.C., statehood bill; and the PRO Act that would entrench the power of leftist-run labor unions over businesses and workers. All of these bills received little GOP support.
However, other bills received bipartisan support and, thus, wider vote margins. For example, the U.S. Senate passed a $250 billion “research and development” bill on June 8 by a 68-32 vote, despite such spending not having any constitutional basis. Additionally, multiple Republicans joined every Democrat in voting to impeach and convict former president Donald Trump. On a positive note, 49 House Republicans joined nearly every Democrat in voting to repeal the unconstitutional Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.
In the current Freedom Index, the average House score was 49 percent, while the average Senate score was 39 percent. A greater number of congressmen than usual scored 100 percent. This was because of the polarized nature of the current Congress and because many Republicans voted against the far-left bills pushed by Democrats, who were also setting the legislative agenda. For these reasons, historically, Republicans tend to vote “better” when Democrats are in control, and Democrats tend to vote “better” under Republican leadership.
The Freedom Index has been used to influence congressmen to improve their voting behaviors. It also doubles as a mini tutorial on the Constitution and its provisions. As JBS founder Robert Welch once wrote, “Education is our total strategy, and truth is our only weapon.” The Freedom Index is a vital tool to educate the electorate on both the voting habits of their congressmen and on what the Constitution says about a wide range of important issues.
To contact your U.S. representative and senators to hold them accountable to the Constitution in how they vote, visit The John Birch Society’s legislative alert here.
