The National Taxpayers Union has released the congressional ratings scorecard for the first session of the 116th Congress. NTU's ratings are the most comprehensive analysis of the way that members of Congress vote for taxpayers. For our 2019 congressional ratings, NTU scored a total of almost 200 roll call votes in Congress, which includes 43 votes in the Senate and 153 votes in the House of Representatives.
Every vote with a fiscal impact received a score and a weight from NTU. This year, 48 Representatives and 5 Senators had a voting record worthy of a “Taxpayers’ Friend” award, which are given 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.”
- Click here for the PDF publication of NTU Rates Congress for the first session of the 116th Congress.
- You may view the 2019 list of Taxpayers’ Friends in the House and Senate here.
- To view the list of votes used to establish the NTU Ratings, click here.
Senate
Alabama | Kentucky | North Dakota | ||||||
Jones | 7% | F | McConnell | N/A | N/A | Cramer | 24% | D |
Shelby | 32% | D | Paul | 95% | A | Hoeven | 24% | D |
State Average | 20% | State Average | 95% | State Average | 24% | |||
Alaska | Louisiana | Ohio | ||||||
Murkowski | 21% | D | Cassidy* | 47% | C- | Brown S. | 4% | F |
Sullivan | 35% | D | Kennedy John | 74% | B | Portman | 21% | D |
State Average | 28% | State Average | 61% | State Average | 13% | |||
Arizona | Maine | Oklahoma | ||||||
McSally | 25% | D | Collins | 17% | F | Inhofe | 46% | C- |
Sinema | 8% | F | King A. | 8% | F | Lankford | 74% | B |
State Average | 17% | State Average | 13% | State Average | 60% | |||
Arkansas | Maryland | Oregon | ||||||
Boozman | 23% | D | Cardin | 3% | F | Merkley | 18% | F |
Cotton | 41% | C- | Van Hollen | 10% | F | Wyden | 17% | F |
State Average | 32% | State Average | 7% | State Average | 18% | |||
California | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania | ||||||
Feinstein | 4% | F | Markey | 21% | D | Casey | 3% | F |
Harris K. | N/A | N/A | Warren | N/A | N/A | Toomey* | 81% | A |
State Average | 4% | State Average | 21% | State Average | 42% | |||
Colorado | Michigan | Rhode Island | ||||||
Bennet** | 22% | D | Peters G. | 3% | F | Reed J.* | 4% | F |
Gardner | 31% | D | Stabenow | 3% | F | Whitehouse | 5% | F |
State Average | 27% | State Average | 3% | State Average | 5% | |||
Connecticut | Minnesota | South Carolina | ||||||
Blumenthal | 3% | F | Klobuchar** | 21% | D | Graham L. | 23% | D |
Murphy C. | 4% | F | Smith | 3% | F | Scott T. | 76% | B+ |
State Average | 4% | State Average | 12% | State Average | 50% | |||
Delaware | Mississippi | South Dakota | ||||||
Carper | 25% | D | Hyde-Smith | 27% | D | Rounds | 28% | D |
Coons | 3% | F | Wicker | 26% | D | Thune | 25% | D |
State Average | 14% | State Average | 27% | State Average | 27% | |||
Florida | Missouri | Tennessee | ||||||
Rubio | 57% | C | Blunt | 23% | D | Alexander* | 25% | D |
Scott | 44% | C- | Hawley | 49% | C- | Blackburn | 79% | B+ |
State Average | 51% | State Average | 36% | State Average | 52% | |||
Georgia | Montana | Texas | ||||||
Isakson | N/A | N/A | Daines | 73% | B | Cornyn | 61% | C+ |
Perdue | 42% | C- | Tester | 13% | F | Cruz | 86% | A |
State Average | 42% | State Average | 43% | State Average | 74% | |||
Hawaii | Nebraska | Utah | ||||||
Hirono | 4% | F | Fischer | 66% | B- | Lee M. | 98% | A |
Schatz | 4% | F | Sasse | 78% | B+ | Romney | 71% | B |
State Average | 4% | State Average | 72% | State Average | 85% | |||
Idaho | Nevada | Vermont | ||||||
Crapo | 58% | C | Cortez Masto | 3% | F | Leahy | 4% | F |
Risch | 76% | B+ | Rosen | 2% | F | Sanders | N/A | N/A |
State Average | 67% | State Average | 3% | State Average | 4% | |||
Illinois | New Hampshire | Virginia | ||||||
Duckworth | 3% | F | Hassan | 3% | F | Kaine | 4% | F |
Durbin | 4% | F | Shaheen | 4% | F | Warner | 3% | F |
State Average | 4% | State Average | 4% | State Average | 4% | |||
Indiana | New Jersey | Washington | ||||||
Braun | 95% | A | Booker | N/A | N/A | Cantwell | 3% | F |
Young T. | 38% | D | Menendez | 4% | F | Murray | 3% | F |
State Average | 67% | State Average | 4% | State Average | 3% | |||
Iowa | New Mexico | West Virginia | ||||||
Ernst | 59% | C | Heinrich | 4% | F | Capito | 24% | D |
Grassley | 45% | C- | Udall | 4% | F | Manchin | 17% | F |
State Average | 52% | State Average | 4% | State Average | 21% | |||
Kansas | New York | Wisconsin | ||||||
Moran | 40% | C- | Gillibrand** | 28% | D | Baldwin | 4% | F |
Roberts | 23% | D | Schumer | 8% | F | Johnson R. | 65% | B- |
State Average | 32% | State Average | 18% | State Average | 35% | |||
North Carolina | Wyoming | |||||||
Burr* | 23% | D | Barrasso | 66% | B- | |||
Tillis | 48% | C- | Enzi | 72% | B | |||
State Average | 36% | State Average | 69% |
House
Alabama | Indiana | North Dakota | ||||||
Aderholt | 66% | C+ | Baird | 71% | B- | Armstrong | 75% | B- |
Brooks M. | 89% | A | Banks | 86% | A | State Average | 75% | |
Byrne | 86% | A | Brooks S. | 64% | C+ | Ohio | ||
Palmer | 89% | A | Bucshon | 77% | B | Balderson | 77% | B |
Roby | 59% | C | Carson | 7% | F | Beatty | 8% | F |
Rogers M. | 74% | B- | Hollingsworth | 73% | B- | Chabot | 84% | B+ |
Sewell | 6% | F | Pence | 64% | C+ | Davidson | 89% | A |
State Average | 67% | Visclosky | 6% | F | Fudge | 6% | F | |
Alaska | Walorski | 71% | B- | Gibbs | 74% | B- | ||
Young Don | 56% | C | State Average | 58% | Gonzalez | 66% | C+ | |
State Average | 56% | Iowa | Johnson B. | 72% | B- | |||
Arizona | Axne | 8% | F | Jordan | 91% | A | ||
Biggs | 94% | A | Finkenauer | 8% | F | Joyce | 54% | C |
Gallego | 11% | F | King S. | 85% | B+ | Kaptur | 7% | F |
Gosar | 93% | A | Loebsack | 6% | F | Latta | 86% | A |
Grijalva | 15% | F | State Average | 27% | Ryan T.* | 8% | F | |
Kirkpatrick | 7% | F | Kansas | Stivers | 58% | C | ||
Lesko | 85% | B+ | Davids | 7% | F | Turner | 57% | C |
O'Halleran | 6% | F | Estes | 85% | B+ | Wenstrup | 83% | B+ |
Schweikert | 88% | A | Marshall | 76% | B | State Average | 58% | |
Stanton | 9% | F | Watkins | 82% | B+ | Oklahoma | ||
State Average | 45% | State Average | 63% | Cole | 58% | C | ||
Arkansas | Kentucky | Hern | 87% | A | ||||
Crawford | 80% | B | Barr | 78% | B | Horn | 10% | F |
Hill | 68% | C+ | Comer | 85% | B+ | Lucas* | 66% | C+ |
Westerman | 82% | B+ | Guthrie | 73% | B- | Mullin | 86% | A |
Womack | 63% | C+ | Massie | 95% | A | State Average | 61% | |
State Average | 73% | Rogers H. | 62% | C+ | Oregon | |||
California | Yarmuth | 8% | F | Blumenauer | 22% | D | ||
Aguilar | 12% | F | State Average | 67% | Bonamici | 12% | F | |
Barragan | 12% | F | Louisiana | DeFazio | 15% | F | ||
Bass | 14% | F | Abraham** | 80% | B | Schrader | 15% | F |
Bera | 6% | F | Graves G. | 77% | B | Walden | 55% | C |
Brownley | 6% | F | Higgins C. | 89% | A | State Average | 24% | |
Calvert | 62% | C+ | Johnson M. | 88% | A | Pennsylvania | ||
Carbajal | 6% | F | Richmond | 11% | F | Boyle | 11% | F |
Cardenas | 12% | F | Scalise | 75% | B- | Cartwright | 7% | F |
Chu | 12% | F | State Average | 70% | Dean | 8% | F | |
Cisneros | 7% | F | Maine | Doyle | 13% | F | ||
Cook | 61% | C+ | Golden | 10% | F | Evans | 8% | F |
Correa | 12% | F | Pingree | 8% | F | Fitzpatrick | 22% | D |
Costa | 8% | F | State Average | 9% | Houlahan | 6% | F | |
Cox | 7% | F | Maryland | Joyce | 87% | A | ||
Davis S. | 6% | F | Brown A. | 7% | F | Keller** | 83% | B+ |
DeSaulnier | 13% | F | Cummings | 9% | F | Kelly M. | 85% | B+ |
Eshoo | 11% | F | Harris A. | 86% | A | Lamb | 6% | F |
Garamendi | 7% | F | Hoyer | 6% | F | Marino | N/A | N/A |
Gomez | 15% | F | Raskin | 14% | F | Meuser | 74% | B- |
Harder | 11% | F | Ruppersberger | 6% | F | Perry | 89% | A |
Hill* | 9% | F | Sarbanes | 8% | F | Reschenthaler | 62% | C+ |
Huffman | 16% | F | Trone | 7% | F | Scanlon | 8% | F |
Hunter* | 85% | B+ | State Average | 18% | Smucker | 84% | B+ | |
Khanna | 14% | F | Massachusetts | Thompson G. | 59% | C | ||
LaMalfa | 75% | B- | Clark K. | 8% | F | Wild | 6% | F |
Lee B. | 16% | F | Keating | 6% | F | State Average | 40% | |
Levin | 6% | F | Kennedy Joseph P. | 14% | F | Rhode Island | ||
Lieu | 13% | F | Lynch | 6% | F | Cicilline | 8% | F |
Lofgren | 13% | F | McGovern | 14% | F | Langevin | 6% | F |
Lowenthal | 14% | F | Moulton | 7% | F | State Average | 7% | |
Matsui | 8% | F | Neal | 8% | F | South Carolina | ||
McCarthy | 67% | C+ | Pressley | 27% | D | Clyburn | 6% | F |
McClintock | 94% | A | Trahan | 12% | F | Cunningham | 12% | F |
McNerney | 8% | F | State Average | 11% | Duncan Jeff | 89% | A | |
Napolitano | 14% | F | Michigan | Norman | 91% | A | ||
Nunes | 74% | B- | Amash | 95% | A | Rice T. | 88% | A |
Panetta | 9% | F | Bergman | 66% | C+ | Timmons | 88% | A |
Pelosi | N/A | N/A | Dingell | 8% | F | Wilson J. | 69% | C+ |
Peters S. | 12% | F | Huizenga | 82% | B+ | State Average | 63% | |
Porter | 6% | F | Kildee | 10% | F | South Dakota | ||
Rouda | 6% | F | Lawrence | 7% | F | Johnson | 83% | B+ |
Roybal-Allard | 12% | F | Levin | 14% | F | State Average | 83% | |
Ruiz | 6% | F | Mitchell | 74% | B- | Tennessee | ||
Sanchez | 12% | F | Moolenaar | 74% | B- | Burchett | 85% | B+ |
Schiff | 8% | F | Slotkin | 7% | F | Cohen | 13% | F |
Sherman | 7% | F | Stevens | 6% | F | Cooper | 11% | F |
Speier | 12% | F | Tlaib | 23% | D | DesJarlais | 85% | B+ |
Swalwell** | 9% | F | Upton | 50% | C | Fleischmann | 64% | C+ |
Takano | 12% | F | Walberg | 72% | B- | Green | 86% | A |
Thompson M. | 8% | F | State Average | 42% | Kustoff | 72% | B- | |
Torres | 12% | F | Minnesota | Roe | 77% | B | ||
Vargas | 13% | F | Craig | 6% | F | Rose | 82% | B+ |
Waters Maxine | 11% | F | Emmer | 84% | B+ | State Average | 64% | |
State Average | 19% | Hagedorn | 72% | B- | Texas | |||
Colorado | McCollum | 8% | F | Allred | 9% | F | ||
Buck | 95% | A | Omar | 30% | D | Arrington | 88% | A |
Crow | 6% | F | Peterson | 19% | F | Babin | 77% | B |
DeGette | 14% | F | Phillips | 6% | F | Brady K. | 76% | B |
Lamborn | 85% | B+ | Stauber | 55% | C | Burgess | 84% | B+ |
Neguse | 14% | F | State Average | 35% | Carter J. | 67% | C+ | |
Perlmutter | 6% | F | Mississippi | Castro | 15% | F | ||
Tipton | 75% | B- | Guest | 78% | B | Cloud | 89% | A |
State Average | 42% | Kelly T. | 84% | B+ | Conaway | 72% | B- | |
Connecticut | Palazzo | 71% | B- | Crenshaw | 70% | C+ | ||
Courtney | 6% | F | Thompson B. | 8% | F | Cuellar | 15% | F |
DeLauro | 7% | F | State Average | 60% | Doggett | 19% | F | |
Hayes | 6% | F | Missouri | Escobar | 13% | F | ||
Himes | 7% | F | Clay | 9% | F | Fletcher | 9% | F |
Larson J. | 6% | F | Cleaver | 7% | F | Flores | 79% | B |
State Average | 6% | Graves S. | 78% | B | Garcia | 14% | F | |
Delaware | Hartzler | 64% | C+ | Gohmert | 92% | A | ||
Blunt Rochester | 8% | F | Long | 80% | B | Gonzalez | 16% | F |
State Average | 8% | Luetkemeyer | 61% | C+ | Gooden | 86% | A | |
Florida | Smith J. | 87% | A | Granger | 63% | C+ | ||
Bilirakis | 69% | C+ | Wagner | 72% | B- | Green A. | 11% | F |
Buchanan | 65% | C+ | State Average | 57% | Hurd | 45% | C- | |
Castor | 8% | F | Montana | Jackson Lee | 10% | F | ||
Crist | 6% | F | Gianforte | 76% | B | Johnson E.B. | 7% | F |
Demings | 6% | F | State Average | 76% | Marchant | 83% | B+ | |
Deutch | 8% | F | Nebraska | McCaul | 61% | C+ | ||
Diaz-Balart | 54% | C | Bacon | 64% | C+ | Olson | 80% | B |
Dunn | 67% | C+ | Fortenberry | 52% | C | Ratcliffe | 88% | A |
Frankel | 7% | F | Smith, Adrian | 78% | B | Roy | 90% | A |
Gaetz | 87% | A | State Average | 65% | Taylor | 89% | A | |
Hastings* | 10% | F | Nevada | Thornberry | 69% | C+ | ||
Lawson | 6% | F | Amodei | 71% | B- | Veasey | 7% | F |
Mast | 69% | C+ | Horsford | 7% | F | Vela | 17% | F |
Mucarsel-Powell | 7% | F | Lee | 9% | F | Weber | 83% | B+ |
Murphy | 13% | F | Titus | 12% | F | Williams | 82% | B+ |
Posey | 76% | B | State Average | 25% | Wright* | 91% | A | |
Rooney F.** | 78% | B | New Hampshire | State Average | 55% | |||
Rutherford | 61% | C+ | Kuster | 10% | F | Utah | ||
Shalala | 6% | F | Pappas | 10% | F | Bishop R. | 71% | B- |
Soto | 7% | F | State Average | 10% | Curtis | 88% | A | |
Spano | 80% | B | New Jersey | McAdams | 29% | D | ||
Steube | 90% | A | Gottheimer | 7% | F | Stewart | 78% | B |
Waltz | 75% | B- | Kim | 6% | F | State Average | 67% | |
Wasserman Schultz | 8% | F | Malinowski | 6% | F | Vermont | ||
Webster | 76% | B | Norcross | 11% | F | Welch | 14% | F |
Wilson F. | 7% | F | Pallone | 15% | F | State Average | 14% | |
Yoho | 84% | B+ | Pascrell | 11% | F | Virginia | ||
State Average | 42% | Payne | 8% | F | Beyer | 8% | F | |
Georgia | Sherrill | 6% | F | Cline | 91% | A | ||
Allen | 82% | B+ | Sires | 6% | F | Connolly | 7% | F |
Bishop S. | 7% | F | Smith C. | 32% | D | Griffith | 84% | B+ |
Carter E.L. | 81% | B+ | Van Drew | 5% | F | Luria | 5% | F |
Collins D. | 77% | B | Watson Coleman | 13% | F | McEachin* | 8% | F |
Ferguson | 76% | B | State Average | 11% | Riggleman | 81% | B+ | |
Graves T. | 77% | B | New Mexico | Scott R. | 7% | F | ||
Hice | 90% | A | Haaland | 10% | F | Spanberger | 12% | F |
Johnson H. | 7% | F | Lujan B.R. | 11% | F | Wexton | 6% | F |
Lewis, John* | 9% | F | Torres Small | 7% | F | Wittman | 81% | B+ |
Loudermilk | 84% | B+ | State Average | 9% | State Average | 35% | ||
McBath | 7% | F | New York | Washington | ||||
Scott A. | 80% | B | Brindisi | 13% | F | DelBene | 7% | F |
Scott D. | 6% | F | Clarke Y. | 16% | F | Heck | 9% | F |
Woodall | 72% | B- | Collins C.** | 56% | C | Herrera Beutler* | 51% | C |
State Average | 54% | Delgado | 7% | F | Jayapal | 15% | F | |
Hawaii | Engel | 14% | F | Kilmer | 6% | F | ||
Case | 6% | F | Espaillat | 17% | F | Larsen R. | 8% | F |
Gabbard** | 8% | F | Higgins B. | 7% | F | McMorris Rodgers | 79% | B |
State Average | 7% | Jeffries | 7% | F | Newhouse | 60% | C+ | |
Idaho | Katko | 37% | D | Schrier | 6% | F | ||
Fulcher | 86% | A | King P. | 47% | C- | Smith Adam | 11% | F |
Simpson | 56% | C | Lowey | 7% | F | State Average | 25% | |
State Average | 71% | Maloney C. | 12% | F | West Virginia | |||
Illinois | Maloney S.P. | 6% | F | McKinley | 58% | C | ||
Bost | 55% | C | Meeks | 9% | F | Miller | 70% | C+ |
Bustos | 6% | F | Meng | 15% | F | Mooney | 85% | B+ |
Casten | 7% | F | Morelle | 7% | F | State Average | 71% | |
Davis D. | 10% | F | Nadler | 11% | F | Wisconsin | ||
Davis R. | 50% | C | Ocasio-Cortez | 29% | D | Duffy** | 77% | B |
Foster | 6% | F | Reed T. | 57% | C | Gallagher | 75% | B- |
Garcia | 15% | F | Rice K. | 11% | F | Grothman | 90% | A |
Kelly R. | 6% | F | Rose | 7% | F | Kind | 14% | F |
Kinzinger | 50% | C | Serrano | 10% | F | Moore | 12% | F |
Krishnamoorthi | 6% | F | Stefanik | 45% | C- | Pocan | 18% | F |
LaHood | 86% | A | Suozzi | 10% | F | Sensenbrenner | 88% | A |
Lipinski | 12% | F | Tonko | 13% | F | Steil | 82% | B+ |
Quigley | 8% | F | Velazquez | 15% | F | State Average | 57% | |
Rush | 8% | F | Zeldin | 72% | B- | Wyoming | ||
Schakowsky | 14% | F | State Average | 21% | Cheney | 65% | C+ | |
Schneider | 7% | F | North Carolina | State Average | 65% | |||
Shimkus* | 80% | B | Adams | 8% | F | 40% | ||
Underwood | 6% | F | Bishop | N/A | N/A | |||
State Average | 24% | Budd | 90% | A | ||||
Butterfield | 9% | F | ||||||
Foxx | 84% | B+ | ||||||
Holding | 87% | A | ||||||
Hudson | 82% | B+ | ||||||
McHenry | 70% | C+ | ||||||
Meadows | 89% | A | ||||||
Murphy | N/A | N/A | ||||||
Price | 8% | F | ||||||
Rouzer | 83% | B+ | ||||||
Walker* | 87% | A | ||||||
State Average | 63% |