US Legislators Score Higher on 2009 Environmental Votes

The 2009 Congressional Scorecard released by Environment America found more environmental progress and more champions even as the group noted the challenges of enacting more significant environmental protections. 

In addition to tracking votes on key environmental legislation such as the unprecedented $80 billion in clean energy and green transportation ultimately enacted in the economic recovery act; the passage of a first-ever comprehensive clean energy and global warming bill through the House; and the enactment of a bill to protect more than 2 million acres of public lands and other national treasures; the scorecard also demonstrates an increased depth of support for environmental issues in the past year and a half. 

Environment America’s scorecard shows a significant increase in the number of Congressional Environmental Champions who scored 100%. 

“We applaud 184 members of both the House and Senate for being champions of the environment. These members received 100% scores for consistently voting to protect the environment,” said Environment America’s Washington DC Director, Anna Aurilio.

Forty senators and 144 representatives took the pro-environment position on every vote that Environment  America tracked for the 2009 Scorecard. They include: Senators Blanche Lincoln (AR), Barbara Boxer (CA), Joseph Lieberman (CT), Bill Nelson (FL), John Kerry (MA) and Debbie Stabenow (MI); and Representatives Henry Waxman (CA), Hank Johnson (GA), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL), Barney Frank (MA), Edward Markey (MA), Chris Van Hollen (MD) and John Dingell (MI).

The 2009 scorecard documents a contiued shift in the nature of environmental votes towards more solution-oriented votes.  Environment America found that House and Senate leadership and the new administration are placing a much higher priority on environmental protection in the past year and a half, leading to 85% percent of the votes prioritized by Environment America being solution-oriented. Most importantly the measures reaching and being signed by the President reflect greater progress on solutions.  

“Congress has shown that it is serious about repowering America with clean energy by passing the economic recovery act with an unprecedented $80 billion investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy and green transportation,’ said Aurilio. “It’s time to build on that down payment by passing a comprehensive energy and global warming bill,” she added.

With the help of environmental champions in Congress, the 111th Congress is making progress in several additional areas such as protecting 2 million acres of public lands and increasing funding for national parks. However, the group noted much more is needed to protect the environment. 

“While we’ve made good progress in the past year and a half, Congress has a lot of work ahead in 2010 to ensure clean air, safe drinking water and a healthy future,” said Aurilio. “We must protect and restore the health of key water bodies such as the Chesapeake Bay, dramatically increase investment in public transit to reduce our oil dependence and protect our public parks and forests for future generations.  We urge other members of Congress to join with those Representatives and Senators who already stand up to special interests and put the environment first,” she concluded.

The 2009 Scorecard is available as a pdf at the link below.