In The News

By Ramsey Touchberry

The conservative Club for Growth has released its 2023 Congressional Economic Scorecard, an annual ranking that the influential anti-tax organization uses to crown what it deems the best and worst economic voting records among lawmakers.

Congress’s biggest fiscal hawks, including those who have attempted to derail bipartisan deals on spending, topped the list, while those who more frequently reached across the aisle scored poorly.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Mike Lee (R-UT) all tied for first in the Senate with perfect scores of 100%. When counting several other ties, a total of 14 Republicans made it into the top 10, including Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who is running for GOP leader, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

Scott is among the congressional lawmakers on former President Donald Trump’s short list for vice president.

The five worst-ranking Republicans were Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) in 45th with 51%, Susan Collins (R-ME) in 46th with 48%, GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tied with Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) in 47th with 47%, and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in last with 41%.

Democrats received low marks in the Club for Growth’s scorecard. Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), who recently became an independent but still caucuses with the Democrats, received the highest score. He tied with Murkowski at 41%.

In the House, there was a tie for first among 42 Republicans with perfect scores of 100%. They included House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-VA), who trails his Trump-backed challenger in a primary race that’s still too close to call; Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), another of Trump’s possible vice presidential picks; and former Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA).

The worst-ranking House Republican was Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), cochairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, with 37%. The best-ranking House Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), scored slightly higher with 40%.

The foundation said its mission is to “educate the general public on the virtue of free-market, limited government policies and to provide the public with a detailed understanding of where each legislator stands on key legislation.”

“By releasing its congressional economic scorecard, the Club for Growth Foundation provides a first-hand look into the voting records of each member on Capitol Hill,” said Club for Growth Foundation President David McIntosh. “Through our analysis, Americans across the country will have a clear understanding of where their members stand on pro-growth economic policy.”

The scorecard does not include all legislation but rather what the Club for Growth considers “key bills that either promote or undermine the principles of economic freedom and limited government.” Of the more than 1,000 combined floor votes between the House and Senate, the organization included 17 House votes and 14 Senate votes.

Those House votes included an unsuccessful attempt to elect Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) as speaker; rolling back several of President Joe Biden’s environmental policies; a bipartisan agreement to raise the nation’s debt limit to avoid default; several education-related amendments, including to promote private school or school choice and to dissolve the Department of Education; and rescinding IRS funding under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Senate votes included several government funding bills, including stopgap measures to avoid shutdowns and annual budgets; the bipartisan agreement to raise the nation’s debt limit; the confirmation of Daniel Werfel as IRS commissioner; rolling back several of Biden’s environmental regulations; nullifying the president’s student loan debt relief; tariff policies; and ending so-called earmarks that individual members add to government funding bills for local projects or programs in their home states or districts.

The scorecard has been produced since 2005.

Club for Growth also unveiled its 2023 Defenders of Economic Freedom Award winners, which includes 49 House Republicans and six GOP senators who performed the best. Recipients must have a 90% or better rating in the previous legislative year and maintain a lifetime score of 90% or better.

The Senate winners were Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Cruz, Lee, Paul, and Eric Schmitt (R-MO). In the House, Donalds, Good, and Perry were among the dozens of winners.

View original article: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/3060589/club-for-growth-best-worst-republicans-economy/