Click the pdf image above to view the NTU Rates Congress Results for the First Session
of the 111th Congress.
You may view the 2009 list of Taxpayers' Friends in the House and Senate here.
To view the list of votes used to establish the NTU Ratings, please click
here.
NTU's press release for the 2009 Rating is found here.
NTU rates each Member of Congress' voting record to determine how friendly (or
unfriendly) they are to taxpayers.
See how your legislators stack up!
Every year National Taxpayers Union (NTU) rates U.S. Representatives and Senators on
their actual votes--every vote that affects taxes, spending, and debt. Unlike most
organizations that publish ratings, we refuse to play the "rating game" of
focusing on only a handful of congressional votes on selected issues. The NTU voting study
is the fairest and most accurate guide available on congressional spending. It is a
completely unbiased accounting of votes.
NTU assigned weights to the votes, reflecting the importance of each vote's effect on
federal spending.
NTU has no partisan axe to grind. All members of Congress are treated the same
regardless of political affiliation. Our only constituency is the overburdened American
taxpayer. Grades are given impartially, based on the Taxpayer Score.
Taxpayer Score
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."
A score qualifying for a grade of "B" represents a "good" voting
record on controlling spending and taxes. A "B" grade indicates that the member
voted for taxpayers most of the time, but slightly less than those who attained the grade
of "A."
A score qualifying for a grade of "C" represents a minimally acceptable
voting record on controlling taxes and spending. To qualify for a grade of "C" a
member must have a Taxpayer Score of at least 50 percent. While such a score may be
"satisfactory," there is clearly room for improvement.
We also issue pluses and minuses for the grades of "B" and "C" in
order to better recognize the differences in the voting records of members with these
grades.
A score qualifying for a grade of "D" indicates the member has a
"poor" voting record on controlling taxes and spending.
A score significantly below average qualifies for a grade of "F." This
failing grade places the member into the "Big Spender" category.
Computation
NTU's federal budget experts assigned a weight to each vote ranging from 1 to 100. A
low weight was assigned to votes that had relatively little effect on the size of the
federal budget, while a high weight was assigned to votes with the most significant effect
on federal spending.
Weights were based solely on the relative effect of each vote on the total amount of
federal spending. Consideration was given to the political effect of a vote on the future
federal spending, even though relatively little spending might be immediately at issue. A
vote with average importance should have a weight close to 10.
Scores were computed by dividing the weighted total of votes cast against higher
spending (or taxes or for lower spending or taxes), by the weighted total number of
spending and tax issues on which the member of Congress voted. Average scores for each
state were also computed using the weighted total of votes cast by each state delegation.
In computing these scores, we included only those votes on which the member actually
voted for or against a bill, resolution, or amendment. Paired votes, announced positions,
and absences were excluded. Because some members were absent frequently (or otherwise
failed to vote yes or no), their scores, based on relatively few votes, may not accurately
reflect spending attitudes. The members falling into this category are noted.
