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NTU Rates Congress: 2nd Session of the 115th Congress

The National Taxpayers Union has released the congressional ratings scorecard for the second session of the 115th Congress. The NTU ratings are the most comprehensive analysis of the way that members of Congress vote for taxpayers. For our 2018 congressional ratings, NTU scored a total of more than 200 roll call votes in Congress, which includes 39 votes in the Senate and 168 votes in the House of Representatives.

Every vote with a fiscal impact received a score and a weight from NTU. This year, 17 Representatives and 8 Senators had a voting record worthy of a “Taxpayers Friend” award, which go to the members of Congress who set a high standard for protecting taxpayers’ interests.

The Taxpayer Score measures the strength of support for reducing spending and opposing higher taxes. In general, a higher score is better because it means a member of Congress voted to spend less money.

The Taxpayer Score can range between zero and 100. We do not expect anyone to score a 100, nor has any legislator ever scored a perfect 100 in the multi-year history of the comprehensive NTU scoring system. A high score does not mean that the member of Congress was opposed to all spending or all programs. High-scoring members have indicated that they would vote for many programs if the amount of spending were lower or if the budget were balanced. A member who wants to increase spending on some programs can achieve a high score if he or she votes for offsetting cuts in other programs. A zero score would indicate that the member of Congress approved every spending proposal and opposed every pro-taxpayer reform.

NTU believes a score qualifying for a grade of “A” indicates the member is one of the strongest supporters of responsible tax and spending policies. We are pleased to give these members of Congress our “Taxpayers’ Friend Award.” For the second session of the 115th Congress, NTU is awarding 17 Representatives and 8 Senators with our “Taxpayers’ Friend” award.

Senate

Alabama

Kentucky

 

 

Ohio

 

 

Jones

23%

F

McConnell

N/A

N/A

Brown

19%

F

Shelby

35%

D

Paul

97%

A

Portman

40%

C-

State Average

29%

 

State Average

97%

 

State Average

29%

 

Alaska

Louisiana

 

 

Oklahoma

 

 

Murkowski

34%

D

Cassidy

63%

B

Inhofe

51%

C

Sullivan

53%

C+

Kennedy

69%

B+

Lankford

75%

A

State Average

43%

 

State Average

66%

 

State Average

63%

 

Arizona

Maine

 

 

Oregon

 

 

Flake

89%

A

Collins

15%

F

Merkley

29%

D

Kyl

N/A

N/A

King

20%

F

Wyden

25%

F

State Average

89%

 

State Average

18%

 

State Average

27%

 

Arkansas

Maryland

 

 

Pennsylvania

 

 

Cardin

20%

F

Casey

15%

F

Boozman

40%

C-

Van Hollen

20%

F

Toomey

87%

A

Cotton

63%

B

State Average

20%

 

State Average

51%

 

State Average

51%

 

Massachusetts

 

Rhode Island

 

California

Markey

31%

D

Reed

18%

F

Feinstein

26%

D

Warren

31%

D

Whitehouse

18%

F

Harris

31%

D

State Average

31%

 

State Average

18%

 

State Average

29%

 

Michigan

 

 

South Carolina

 

Colorado

Peters

20%

F

Graham

33%

D

Bennet

30%

D

Stabenow

20%

F

Scott

52%

C

Gardner

51%

C

State Average

20%

 

State Average

42%

 

State Average

41%

 

Minnesota

 

 

South Dakota

 

Connecticut

Klobuchar

16%

F

Rounds

39%

D

Blumenthal

19%

F

Smith

16%

F

Thune

49%

C-

Murphy

19%

F

State Average

16%

 

State Average

44%

 

State Average

19%

 

Mississippi

 

Tennessee

 

Delaware

Hyde-Smith

46%

C-

Alexander

44%

C-

Carper

20%

F

Wicker

47%

C-

Corker

63%

B

Coons

20%

F

State Average

47%

 

State Average

54%

 

State Average

20%

 

Missouri

 

 

Texas

 

 

Florida

Blunt

45%

C-

Cornyn

50%

C

Nelson

15%

F

McCaskill

25%

F

Cruz

69%

B+

Rubio

58%

B-

State Average

35%

 

State Average

59%

 

State Average

36%

 

Montana

 

 

Utah

 

 

Georgia

 

 

Daines

63%

B

Hatch

40%

C-

Isakson

46%

C-

Tester

23%

F

Lee

91%

A

Perdue

50%

C

State Average

43%

 

State Average

66%

 

State Average

48%

 

Nebraska

 

 

Vermont

 

 

Hawaii

 

 

Fischer

54%

C+

Leahy

16%

F

Hirono

25%

F

Sasse

71%

A

Sanders

31%

D

Schatz

18%

F

State Average

62%

 

State Average

24%

 

State Average

22%

 

Nevada

 

 

Virginia

 

 

Idaho

Cortez Masto

14%

F

Kaine

20%

F

Crapo

63%

B

Heller

48%

C-

Warner

20%

F

Risch

62%

B

State Average

31%

 

State Average

20%

 

State Average

62%

 

New Hampshire

 

Washington

 

Illinois

 

 

Hassan

25%

F

Cantwell

22%

F

Duckworth

16%

F

Shaheen

24%

F

Murray

16%

F

Durbin

19%

F

State Average

25%

 

State Average

19%

 

State Average

17%

 

New Jersey

 

West Virginia

 

Indiana

Booker

32%

D

Capito

45%

C-

Donnelly

18%

F

Menendez

20%

F

Manchin

18%

F

Young

49%

C-

State Average

26%

 

State Average

32%

 

State Average

33%

 

New Mexico

 

Wisconsin

 

 

Iowa

 

 

Heinrich

21%

F

Baldwin

16%

F

Ernst

60%

B

Udall

18%

F

Johnson

79%

A

Grassley

70%

A

State Average

20%

 

State Average

48%

 

State Average

65%

 

New York

 

 

Wyoming

 

 

Kansas

 

 

Gillibrand

32%

D

Barrasso

65%

B+

Moran

45%

C-

Schumer

20%

F

Enzi

68%

B+

Roberts

38%

D

State Average

26%

 

State Average

66%

 

State Average

42%

 

North Carolina

 

   
   

Burr

51%

C

Total Average

38%

 
   

Tillis

46%

C-

   
   

State Average

49%

    
   

North Dakota

 

   
   

Heitkamp

18%

F

   
   

Hoeven

38%

D

   
   

State Average

28%

    


 

House

Alabama

  

Indiana

  

North Carolina

  

Aderholt

61%

B-

Banks

67%

B

Adams

28%

D

Brooks

66%

B

Brooks

60%

B-

Budd

75%

A

Byrne

61%

B-

Bucshon

60%

B-

Butterfield

29%

D

Palmer

68%

B

Carson

35%

D

Foxx

73%

B+

Roby

58%

C+

Hollingsworth

68%

B

Holding

70%

B+

Rogers

57%

C+

Messer

64%

B-

Hudson

64%

B-

Sewell

37%

D

Rokita

68%

B

Jones

64%

B-

State Average

58%

 

Visclosky

28%

D

McHenry

61%

B-

Alaska

  

Walorski

59%

C+

Meadows

73%

B+

Young

56%

C+

State Average

57%

 

Pittenger

59%

C+

State Average

56%

 

Iowa

  

Price

28%

D

Arizona

  

Blum

64%

B-

Rouzer

65%

B

Biggs

77%

A

King

64%

B-

Walker

70%

B+

Gallego

30%

D

Loebsack

28%

D

State Average

58%

 

Gosar

73%

B+

Young

58%

C+

North Dakota

  

Grijalva

31%

D

State Average

53%

 

Cramer

57%

C+

Lesko

72%

B+

Kansas

  

State Average

57%

 

McSally

63%

B-

Estes

62%

B-

Ohio

  

O'Halleran

38%

D

Jenkins

61%

B-

Balderson

N/A

 

Schweikert

75%

A

Marshall

56%

C+

Beatty

29%

D

Sinema

48%

C-

Yoder

60%

B-

Chabot

72%

B+

State Average

56%

 

State Average

60%

 

Davidson

78%

A

Arkansas

  

Kentucky

  

Fudge

26%

F

Crawford

60%

B-

Barr

62%

B-

Gibbs

59%

C+

Hill

59%

C+

Comer

67%

B

Johnson

60%

B-

Westerman

66%

B

Guthrie

60%

B-

Jordan

77%

A

Womack

60%

B-

Massie

83%

A

Joyce

58%

C+

State Average

61%

 

Rogers

58%

C+

Kaptur

27%

D

California

  

Yarmuth

25%

F

Latta

66%

B

Aguilar

39%

D

State Average

59%

 

Renacci

66%

B

Barragan

35%

D

Louisiana

  

Ryan

27%

D

Bass

33%

D

Abraham

64%

B-

Stivers

56%

C+

Bera

32%

D

Graves

67%

B

Turner

54%

C

Brownley

31%

D

Higgins

61%

B-

Wenstrup

62%

B-

Calvert

60%

B-

Johnson

65%

B

State Average

54%

 

Carbajal

29%

D

Richmond

33%

D

Oklahoma

  

Cardenas

38%

D

Scalise

61%

B-

Cole

57%

C+

Chu

30%

D

State Average

59%

 

Hern

N/A

 

Cook

61%

B-

Maine

  

Lucas

57%

C+

Correa

48%

C-

Pingree

31%

D

Mullin

62%

B-

Costa

40%

D

Poliquin

56%

C+

Russell

66%

B

Davis

32%

D

State Average

44%

 

State Average

60%

 

Denham

60%

B-

Maryland

  

Oregon

  

DeSaulnier

31%

D

Brown

32%

D

Blumenauer

33%

D

Eshoo

32%

D

Cummings

25%

F

Bonamici

29%

D

Garamendi

23%

F

Delaney

40%

D

DeFazio

34%

D

Gomez

32%

D

Harris

76%

A

Schrader

41%

C-

Huffman

29%

D

Hoyer

32%

D

Walden

57%

C+

Hunter

61%

B-

Raskin

34%

D

State Average

39%

 

Issa

68%

B

Ruppersberger

34%

D

Pennsylvania

  

Khanna

33%

D

Sarbanes

30%

D

Barletta

61%

B-

Knight

60%

B-

State Average

38%

 

Boyle

33%

D

LaMalfa

59%

C+

Massachusetts

  

Brady

28%

D

Lee

33%

D

Capuano

27%

D

Cartwright

29%

D

Lieu

35%

D

Clark

32%

D

Costello

55%

C+

Lofgren

33%

D

Keating

26%

F

Dent

N/A

 

Lowenthal

30%

D

Kennedy

32%

D

Doyle

31%

D

Matsui

33%

D

Lynch

29%

D

Evans

26%

F

McCarthy

60%

B-

McGovern

30%

D

Fitzpatrick

51%

C

McClintock

88%

A

Moulton

37%

D

Kelly

58%

C+

McNerney

30%

D

Neal

31%

D

Lamb

41%

C-

Napolitano

31%

D

Tsongas

29%

D

Marino

59%

C+

Nunes

58%

C+

State Average

30%

 

Meehan

N/A

 

Panetta

37%

D

Michigan

  

Perry

76%

A

Pelosi

27%

D

Amash

85%

A

Rothfus

74%

B+

Peters

36%

D

Bergman

59%

C+

Scanlon

N/A

 

Rohrabacher

74%

B+

Bishop

61%

B-

Shuster

54%

C

Roybal-Allard

29%

D

Dingell

32%

D

Smucker

67%

B

Royce

63%

B-

Huizenga

62%

B-

Thompson

58%

C+

Ruiz

26%

F

Jones

N/A

 

Wild

N/A

 

Sanchez

30%

D

Kildee

29%

D

State Average

50%

 

Schiff

33%

D

Lawrence

27%

D

Rhode Island

  

Sherman

30%

D

Levin

28%

D

Cicilline

31%

D

Speier

44%

C-

Mitchell

57%

C+

Langevin

28%

D

Swalwell

34%

D

Moolenaar

58%

C+

State Average

30%

 

Takano

31%

D

Trott

58%

C+

South Carolina

  

Thompson

30%

D

Upton

62%

B-

Clyburn

29%

D

Torres

33%

D

Walberg

63%

B-

Duncan

76%

A

Valadao

58%

C+

State Average

52%

 

Gowdy

63%

B-

Vargas

34%

D

Minnesota

  

Norman

74%

B+

Walters

61%

B-

Ellison

33%

D

Rice

66%

B

Waters

31%

D

Emmer

67%

B

Sanford

81%

A

State Average

41%

 

Lewis

69%

B

Wilson

58%

C+

Colorado

  

McCollum

24%

F

State Average

64%

 

Buck

76%

A

Nolan

41%

C-

South Dakota

  

Coffman

66%

B

Paulsen

60%

B-

Noem

66%

B

DeGette

32%

D

Peterson

50%

C

State Average

66%

 

Lamborn

66%

B

Walz

N/A

 

Tennessee

  

Perlmutter

36%

D

State Average

49%

 

Black

59%

C+

Polis

49%

C-

Mississippi

  

Blackburn

63%

B-

Tipton

59%

C+

Harper

55%

C+

Cohen

30%

D

State Average

55%

 

Kelly

63%

B-

Cooper

38%

D

Connecticut

  

Palazzo

57%

C+

DesJarlais

67%

B

Courtney

24%

F

Thompson

25%

F

Duncan

83%

A

DeLauro

23%

F

State Average

50%

 

Fleischmann

61%

B-

Esty

27%

D

Missouri

  

Kustoff

62%

B-

Himes

36%

D

Clay

29%

D

Roe

63%

B-

Larson

27%

D

Cleaver

32%

D

State Average

58%

 

State Average

27%

 

Graves

57%

C+

Texas

  

Delaware

  

Hartzler

60%

B-

Arrington

62%

B-

Blunt Rochester

28%

D

Long

64%

B-

Babin

63%

B-

State Average

28%

 

Luetkemeyer

60%

B-

Barton

66%

B

Florida

  

Smith

65%

B

Brady

58%

C+

Bilirakis

62%

B-

Wagner

65%

B

Burgess

60%

B-

Buchanan

56%

C+

State Average

54%

 

Carter

58%

C+

Castor

24%

F

Montana

  

Castro

32%

D

Crist

28%

D

Gianforte

64%

B-

Cloud

N/A

 

Curbelo

54%

C

State Average

64%

 

Conaway

60%

B-

Demings

31%

D

Nebraska

  

Cuellar

52%

C

DeSantis

68%

B

Bacon

59%

C+

Culberson

61%

B-

Deutch

24%

F

Fortenberry

56%

C+

Doggett

36%

D

Diaz-Balart

54%

C

Smith

63%

B-

Flores

62%

B-

Dunn

60%

B-

State Average

59%

 

Gohmert

73%

B+

Frankel

27%

D

Nevada

  

Gonzalez

43%

C-

Gaetz

73%

B+

Amodei

58%

C+

Granger

59%

C+

Hastings

24%

F

Kihuen

32%

D

Green

26%

F

Lawson

31%

D

Rosen

34%

D

Green

31%

D

Mast

59%

C+

Titus

31%

D

Hensarling

73%

B+

Murphy

39%

D

State Average

39%

 

Hurd

57%

C+

Posey

70%

B+

New Hampshire

  

Jackson Lee

29%

D

Rooney

69%

B

Kuster

37%

D

Johnson

25%

F

Rooney

52%

C

Shea-Porter

26%

F

Johnson

70%

B+

Ros-Lehtinen

61%

B-

State Average

32%

 

Marchant

59%

C+

Ross

58%

C+

New Jersey

  

McCaul

59%

C+

Rutherford

57%

C+

Frelinghuysen

63%

B-

Olson

61%

B-

Soto

26%

F

Gottheimer

42%

C-

O'Rourke

28%

D

Wasserman Schultz

27%

D

Lance

58%

C+

Poe

65%

B

Webster

68%

B

LoBiondo

55%

C+

Ratcliffe

73%

B+

Wilson

29%

D

MacArthur

53%

C

Sessions

62%

B-

Yoho

68%

B

Norcross

32%

D

Smith

60%

B-

State Average

48%

 

Pallone

33%

D

Thornberry

58%

C+

Georgia

  

Pascrell

28%

D

Veasey

39%

D

Allen

64%

B-

Payne

29%

D

Vela

35%

D

Bishop

38%

D

Sires

33%

D

Weber

64%

B-

Carter

64%

B-

Smith

52%

C

Williams

66%

B

Collins

61%

B-

Watson Coleman

31%

D

State Average

54%

 

Ferguson

61%

B-

State Average

42%

 

Utah

  

Graves

65%

B

New Mexico

  

Bishop

61%

B-

Handel

63%

B-

Lujan

32%

D

Curtis

68%

B

Hice

72%

B+

Lujan Grisham

36%

D

Love

60%

B-

Johnson

32%

D

Pearce

62%

B-

Stewart

65%

B

Lewis

30%

D

State Average

43%

 

State Average

64%

 

Loudermilk

71%

B+

New York

  

Vermont

  

Scott

59%

C+

Clarke

31%

D

Welch

29%

D

Scott

36%

D

Collins

59%

C+

State Average

29%

 

Woodall

63%

B-

Crowley

26%

F

Virginia

  

State Average

56%

 

Donovan

53%

C

Beyer

31%

D

Hawaii

  

Engel

31%

D

Brat

73%

B+

Gabbard

30%

D

Espaillat

30%

D

Comstock

59%

C+

Hanabusa

32%

D

Faso

49%

C-

Connolly

28%

D

State Average

31%

 

Higgins

25%

F

Garrett

80%

A

Idaho

  

Jeffries

26%

F

Goodlatte

61%

B-

Labrador

79%

A

Katko

53%

C

Griffith

68%

B

Simpson

53%

C

King

58%

C+

McEachin

32%

D

State Average

66%

 

Lowey

28%

D

Scott

26%

F

Illinois

  

Maloney

30%

D

Taylor

59%

C+

Bost

57%

C+

Maloney

40%

D

Wittman

64%

B-

Bustos

30%

D

Meeks

35%

D

State Average

53%

 

Davis

30%

D

Meng

29%

D

Washington

  

Davis

58%

C+

Morelle

N/A

 

DelBene

30%

D

Foster

36%

D

Nadler

28%

D

Heck

33%

D

Gutierrez

30%

D

Reed

59%

C+

Herrera Beutler

63%

B-

Hultgren

59%

C+

Rice

36%

D

Jayapal

30%

D

Kelly

28%

D

Serrano

30%

D

Kilmer

32%

D

Kinzinger

56%

C+

Stefanik

46%

C-

Larsen

30%

D

Krishnamoorthi

31%

D

Suozzi

44%

C-

McMorris Rodgers

59%

C+

LaHood

63%

B-

Tenney

57%

C+

Newhouse

60%

B-

Lipinski

40%

D

Tonko

29%

D

Reichert

58%

C+

Quigley

31%

D

Velazquez

30%

D

Smith

32%

D

Roskam

56%

C+

Zeldin

63%

B-

State Average

43%

 

Rush

32%

D

State Average

39%

 

West Virginia

  

Schakowsky

30%

D

   

Jenkins

59%

C+

Schneider

36%

D

   

McKinley

53%

C

Shimkus

58%

C+

   

Mooney

73%

B+

State Average

42%

    

State Average

62%

 
      

Wisconsin

  
      

Duffy

59%

C+

      

Gallagher

66%

B

      

Grothman

66%

B

      

Kind

46%

C-

      

Moore

38%

D

      

Pocan

30%

D

      

Ryan

N/A

 
      

Sensenbrenner

76%

A

      

State Average

55%

 
      

Wyoming

  
      

Cheney

59%

C+

      

State Average

59%