National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has released its annual report card for the first session of the 118th Congress of the United States. In 2023, just 3 Senators and 38 Members of the House of Representatives earned an ‘A’ grade from NTU for their voting records on fiscal issues, thereby earning these members the Taxpayers’ Friend Award for their steadfast dedication to taxpayer interests.
NTU’s rating system is carefully crafted to assess the voting history of members on matters of sound fiscal policy. Legislators are evaluated annually on every roll call vote that impacts taxes, spending, trade, and regulatory policies. The NTU rating remains the sole system that includes every roll call vote affecting taxpayers (274 votes in both chambers last year), utilizing a sophisticated evaluation process.
Scores can range between zero and 100. In 2023, Senators who received a score of 81% or above and Representatives who received a score of 87% or above earned an ‘A’ grade and a Taxpayers’ Friend Award. In more than four decades of rating Congress, no legislator has earned a perfect 100 percent score. The average in both chambers was only 43 percent.
“It is essential for Americans to be informed as to how their elected officials vote, not just what they say,” said Pete Sepp, President of NTU. “Average citizens and families need to make fiscally sound decisions and we expected nothing less from Congress. NTU’s rating holds our lawmakers accountable, and we are grateful for those Taxpayers’ Friend award winners who made an extra effort to remember taxpayers when voting on the floor.”
The National Taxpayers Union, “The Voice of America’s Taxpayers,” is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working for lower taxes, smaller government, and economic freedom at all levels. More information on NTU’s work is available at www.ntu.org.
View the full list of 2023 Taxpayers' Friend Award Winners here.
To speak with the team that led the calculations behind NTU Rates Congress, including NTU President Pete Sepp, please contact NTU Communications Manager Courtney Manley at 703-299-8671 or courtney.manley@ntu.org.