Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, who is more than halfway through his seventh term in Congress, has just been tapped to run alongside Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney as his Vice Presidential nominee. While his record on NTU's Rating of Congress includes some very strong showings, it is interesting to examine Ryan's complete record (which can be accessed in our searchable Ratings database HERE).
Ryan's lifetime average of 75% is good compared to the whole of Congress, though it falls short of the upper echelon of taxpayer defenders who consistenly stay in range of "Taxpayers Friend" awards. Ryan's scores include six "A" grades worthy of that "Taxpayers' Friend" award, and seven "B's" or "B+" grades. Though Ryan never finished in the top ten of scorers, he got close at 13th in 2010 and 11th in 2006; his lowest showing being 110th in 2011.
Here is the complete breakdown:
| Year | Grade | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | B | 76% | 110 |
| 2010 | A | 92% | 13 |
| 2009 | A | 90% | 35 |
| 2008 | B | 71% | 74 |
| 2007 | A | 85% | 39 |
| 2006 | A | 78% | 11 |
| 2005 | B+ | 69% | 32 |
| 2004 | A | 78% | 25 |
| 2003 | B+ | 72% | 27 |
| 2002 | B+ | 63% | 34 |
| 2001 | B+ | 69% | 46 |
| 2000 | B | 66% | 58 |
| 1999 | A | 72% | 20 |