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.
- Click here for the PDF publication of NTU Rates Congress for the second session of the 115th Congress.
- You may view the 2018 list of Taxpayers’ Friends in the House and Senate here.
- To view the list of votes used to establish the NTU Ratings, click here.
- NTU’s press release for the 2018 Ratings is found here.
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% |
