Congressional Vote Reports

Scorecard 119-3

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 119th Congress (January 3, 2025 – January 3, 2027) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal debt equals $359,252 per taxpayer, as of August 5, 2026.

Senate Votes

  • Appropriations

    Would appropriate $187 billion in total funding for select federal agencies in fiscal 2026.

  • Refugee-assistance Funding

    Would eliminate $5.16 billion in refugee-and-entrant-assistance funding.

  • Foreign Aid

    Would preserve $12 billion in bilateral economic assistance for the United States African Development Foundation.

  • War Powers

    Would direct the U.S. president to end the war in Iran unless Congress explicitly declares war.

  • VA Abortion-services Rule

    Would overturn a pro-life Department of Veterans Affairs rule that excluded abortion from its "medical benefits package."

  • Law-enforcement Grants

    Would redirect $31 billion designated for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Department of Justice grants for local law enforcement.

House Votes

  • Appropriations

    Would appropriate $187 billion in total funding for select federal agencies in fiscal 2026.

  • Democracy Grants

    Would eliminate $315 million in federal funding for the National Endowment for Democracy and $2.2 billion for other democracy programs.

  • Ban Funding for “Kill-switch” Mandate

    Would protect Americans from a requirement that new passenger motor vehicles be equipped with "advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology."

  • War Powers

    Would direct the U.S. president to end the war in Iran unless Congress explicitly declares war.

  • Haiti “Temporary Protected Status” Designation

    Would require the secretary of homeland security to designate Haiti for temporary protected status (TPS) until April 2029.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Would authorize additional aid to Ukraine, including up to $8 billion for military assistance via loans, and impose penalties for Russia.

Freedom Index 119-3 Download PDF

“The Freedom Index: A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution” rates members of Congress based on their adherence to constitutional principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, national sovereignty, and a traditional foreign policy of avoiding foreign entanglements. For information on the criteria we use to select the votes, go to FreedomIndex.us/about.

To learn how any representative or senator voted on the key measures described herein, look him or her up in the vote charts. The scores are derived by dividing a congressman’s constitutional votes (pluses) by the total number he cast (pluses and minuses) and multiplying by 100. The average House score for this index is 40 percent (64 percent for the Republicans and 16 percent for the Democrats), and the average Senate score is 38 percent (52 percent for the Republicans and 22 percent for the Democrats). Two representatives (Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio) and one senator (Rand Paul of Kentucky) earned 100 percent. We encourage readers to examine how their own legislators voted on each of the 10 key measures. We also encourage readers to commend legislators for their constitutional votes, and to urge improvement where needed.

Our third look at the 119th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as foreign aid, war powers, ObamaCare subsidies (House only), and immigration.

Senate Votes

  • Appropriations

    Would appropriate $187 billion in total funding for select federal agencies in fiscal 2026.

  • Refugee-assistance Funding

    Would eliminate $5.16 billion in refugee-and-entrant-assistance funding.

  • Foreign Aid

    Would preserve $12 billion in bilateral economic assistance for the United States African Development Foundation.

  • War Powers

    Would direct the U.S. president to end the war in Iran unless Congress explicitly declares war.

  • Housing

    Would expand federal involvement in housing.

  • VA Abortion-services Rule

    Would overturn a pro-life Department of Veterans Affairs rule that excluded abortion from its "medical benefits package."

  • Border Security vs. Government Programs

    Would cut $45 billion for foreign aid, $16 billion for the Department of Education, $5 billion for refugee programs, and $4 billion for the National Science Foundation in order to offset a $70 billion increase in border-security spending.

  • DACA Amnesty

    Would redirect $10 million for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and prohibit the use of the funds to detain or deport DACA recipients.

  • Law-enforcement Grants

    Would redirect $31 billion designated for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Department of Justice grants for local law enforcement.

  • FISA Reauthorization

    Would extend for three years the expiration date of Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.

House Votes

  • Appropriations

    Would appropriate $187 billion in total funding for select federal agencies in fiscal 2026.

  • ObamaCare Subsidy Extension

    Would extend enhanced ObamaCare subsidies by an additional three years.

  • Democracy Grants

    Would eliminate $315 million in federal funding for the National Endowment for Democracy and $2.2 billion for other democracy programs.

  • Ban Funding for “Kill-switch” Mandate

    Would protect Americans from a requirement that new passenger motor vehicles be equipped with "advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology."

  • Repealing Weapon Regulations and Taxes

    Would exempt "less-than-lethal projectile devices," including certain Tasers, from federal gun-control regulations and taxes.

  • Repealing Energy-efficiency Programs

    Would repeal three federal energy-efficiency programs and rescind about $300 million designated for them.

  • War Powers

    Would direct the U.S. president to end the war in Iran unless Congress explicitly declares war.

  • Haiti “Temporary Protected Status” Designation

    Would require the secretary of homeland security to designate Haiti for temporary protected status (TPS) until April 2029.

  • FISA Extension

    Would extend by 45 days the expiration date of Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Would authorize additional aid to Ukraine, including up to $8 billion for military assistance via loans, and impose penalties for Russia.

Scorecard 119-2

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 119th Congress (January 3, 2025 – January 3, 2027) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal debt equals $355,811 per taxpayer, as of February 7, 2025.

Senate Votes

House Votes

Freedom Index 119-2 Download PDF

The Freedom Index: A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution rates members of Congress based on their adherence to constitutional principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, national sovereignty, and a traditional foreign policy of avoiding foreign entanglements. For information on the criteria we use to select the votes, go to FreedomIndex.us/about.

To learn how any representative or senator voted on the key measures described herein, look him or her up in the vote charts. The scores are derived by dividing a congressman’s constitutional votes (pluses) by the total number he cast (pluses and minuses) and multiplying by 100. The average House score for this index is 38 percent (71 percent for the Republicans and five percent for the Democrats), and the average Senate score is 40 percent (67 percent for the Republicans and nine percent for the Democrats). Ten representatives and just one senator (Rand Paul of Kentucky) earned 100 percent. We encourage readers to examine how their own legislators voted on each of the 10 key measures. We also encourage readers to commend legislators for their constitutional votes, and to urge improvement where needed.

Our second look at the 119th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as digital currencies, foreign aid (House only), oil and gas drilling, and Obama-Care subsidies (Senate only).

Senate Votes

House Votes

  • GENIUS Act

    Imposes new federal regulations on cryptocurrency stablecoins.

  • Central Bank Digital Currency

    Prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC.

  • Foreign Aid Programs

    Eliminates $118 million for foreign-aid programs.

  • Ukraine Assistance

    Eliminates foreign aid to Ukraine from the bill.

  • Defund Renewable-energy Office

    Strikes all funding for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

  • Taxpayer-funded Sex Changes

    Prohibits the Department of Defense from covering or providing "gender-related medical treatment" under TRICARE.

  • Free Speech

    Prohibits the Defense Department from, in its military recruitment advertising, entering into contracts with "fact-checking" entities.

  • Presidential Appointment Powers

    Abolishes the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, allows the U.S. president to nominate D.C. judges without its involvement, and transfers authority to appoint chief judges from the commission to the president.

  • Alaska Petroleum Reserve Rule

    Overturns a 2022 Bureau of Land Management rule for the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.

  • China-funded Schools

    This bill stops the U.S. government from giving money to any public grade school or high school that gets support from the Chinese government.

Scorecard 119-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 119th Congress (January 3, 2025 – January 3, 2027).

Federal debt equals $323,053 per taxpayer, as of July 30, 2025.

Senate Votes

  • Deficit Reduction

    Reduces the deficit by approximately $1.4 trillion through fiscal 2034.

  • Federal Funding for Law Enforcement

    Increases federal funding for local law enforcement by funding the COPS Hiring Program.

  • In Vitro Fertilization

    Protects access to "reproductive healthcare," including "fertility treatment services" such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).

  • EPA Emissions Rule

    Overturns an EPA rule that imposed annual fees on oil and gas facilities that emit methane above certain thresholds.

  • USAID Funding Cuts

    Reduces funding levels for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

  • Debt Ceiling

    Reduces the bill's increase in the debt limit from $4 trillion to $500 billion.

House Votes

  • Conservation Programs

    Reauthorizes a federal conservation program (the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003) through fiscal 2030.

  • EPA Emissions Rule

    Overturns an EPA rule that imposed annual fees on oil and gas facilities that emit methane above certain thresholds.

  • Event-ticket Pricing

    Imposes federal regulations on ticket sellers.

  • Quad Countries

    Directs the U.S. secretary of state to deepen America's entanglement in the "Quad," including by creating a Quad Inter-Parliamentary Working Group.

  • Fiscal 2025 Rescissions

    Rescinds $9.4 billion in funding previously appropriated by Congress for fiscal 2025.

  • Washington, D.C., “Sanctuary City” Law

    Prohibits the District of Columbia from limiting its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Freedom Index 119-1 Download PDF

Our first look at the 119th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as federal spending, men in women’s sports, USAID funding (Senate only), and sanctuary cities (House only).

The scores are derived by dividing a congressman’s constitutional votes (pluses) by the total number he cast (pluses and minuses) and multiplying by 100. The average House score for this index is 36 percent (69 percent for the Republicans and two percent for the Democrats), and the average Senate score is 42 percent (79 percent for the Republicans and one percent for the Democrats). Fourteen representatives and three senators earned 100 percent. We encourage readers to examine how their own legislators voted on each of the 10 key measures. We also encourage readers to commend legislators for their constitutional votes, and to urge improvement where needed.

Senate Votes

  • Medical Care for Abortion Survivors

    The U.S. Constitution does not grant a right to abortion. Abortion is not healthcare, it is the ending of innocent human life, and the Declaration of Independence affirms the right to life as a fundamental, God-given, and inherent right.

  • Deficit Reduction

    Reduces the deficit by approximately $1.4 trillion through fiscal 2034.

  • Federal Funding for Law Enforcement

    Increases federal funding for local law enforcement by funding the COPS Hiring Program.

  • In Vitro Fertilization

    Protects access to "reproductive healthcare," including "fertility treatment services" such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).

  • EPA Emissions Rule

    Overturns an EPA rule that imposed annual fees on oil and gas facilities that emit methane above certain thresholds.

  • Protecting Women’s Sports

    Would ensure that only real (i.e., biological) women and girls compete in women's sports that are operated, sponsored, or facilitated by federal funding. "Transgender" women and girls — i.e., biological males who "identify," or pose, as females — would be prohibited from competing.

  • USAID Funding Cuts

    Reduces funding levels for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

  • Debt Ceiling

    Reduces the bill's increase in the debt limit from $4 trillion to $500 billion.

  • Minimum-wage Increase

    During consideration of a budget resolution for fiscal 2025 (House Concurrent Resolution 14), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) offered an amendment to increase the federal minimum wage to at least $17 an hour over five years.

  • Water-heater Rule

    Would overturn a 2024 Department of Energy rule, titled "Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters," that imposed new requirements on gas-fired instantaneous water heaters and effectively banned the sale of non-condensing models.

House Votes

  • Protecting Women’s Sports

    The federal government should not use taxpayer money to facilitate biological males competing against real women and girls.

  • Medical Care for Abortion Survivors

    The U.S. Constitution does not grant a right to abortion. Abortion is not healthcare, it is the ending of innocent human life, and the Declaration of Independence affirms the right to life as a fundamental, God-given, and inherent right.

  • Conservation Programs

    Reauthorizes a federal conservation program (the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003) through fiscal 2030.

  • Fracking

    Would prohibit the president from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) unless authorized by an act of Congress.

  • EPA Emissions Rule

    Overturns an EPA rule that imposed annual fees on oil and gas facilities that emit methane above certain thresholds.

  • Emissions Research

    Representative Brian Babin (R-Texas) made a motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1534, the "Innovative Mitigation Partnerships for Asphalt and Concrete Technologies (IMPACT) Act," which would authorize the Department of Energy to fund research and development partnerships focused on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from asphalt and concrete production.

  • Event-ticket Pricing

    Imposes federal regulations on ticket sellers.

  • Quad Countries

    Directs the U.S. secretary of state to deepen America's entanglement in the "Quad," including by creating a Quad Inter-Parliamentary Working Group.

  • Fiscal 2025 Rescissions

    Rescinds $9.4 billion in funding previously appropriated by Congress for fiscal 2025.

  • Washington, D.C., “Sanctuary City” Law

    Prohibits the District of Columbia from limiting its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Freedom Index 118-4 Download PDF

Our fourth (and final) look at the 118th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as federal spending, immigration, UN funding (House only), and DEI (House only).

The scores are derived by dividing a congressman’s constitutional votes (pluses) by the total number he cast (pluses and minuses) and multiplying by 100. The average House score for this index is 34 percent (67 percent for the Republicans and zero percent for the Democrats), and the average Senate score is 42 percent (86 percent for the Republicans and one percent for the Democrats). Seventeen representatives and 10 senators earned 100 percent. We encourage readers to examine how their own legislators voted on each of the 10 key measures. We also encourage readers to commend legislators for their constitutional votes, and to urge improvement where needed.

Senate Votes

  • Federal Reserve Activities

    Prohibits the Federal Reserve from purchasing or selling the debt of any state or municipality.

  • CBP One App

    Migrants who do not satisfy the conditions for asylum are often, upon their entry into the United States and release from custody, granted parole for up to two years under Title 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, making them eligible for work permits. Given that aliens are presumed to be ineligible for asylum if they enter the United States unlawfully after failing to seek refuge in a third country (e.g., Mexico), the CBP One app has effectively become a fraudulent gateway for millions of illegal migrants. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution stipulates that Congress shall have the power to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization," and Article II, Section 3 requires the president to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."

  • Spending Reductions

    Reduces spending by 5 percent, excluding military and border funding.

  • Migrant Parole Program

    Prohibits funding in the bill from being used to fly illegal migrants into the United States.

  • EPA Tailpipe Emissions Rule

    Prohibits the use of fiscal 2024 funding to implement or enforce EPA rules on tailpipe emissions for vehicles.

  • Courtney Diesel O’Donnell Nomination

    President Joe Biden nominated Courtney Diesel O'Donnell to serve as the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the rank of ambassador.

  • Consumer Furnaces Rule

    Senate Joint Resolution 58 would reverse a December 2023 Department of Energy rule setting stricter energy-efficiency standards for non-weatherized and mobile-home gas furnaces at 95-percent annual fuel utilization efficiency.

  • In Vitro Fertilization

    Would, in the words of the bill, "protect and expand nationwide access to fertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization."

  • Canceling Ukrainian Debt

    Disapproves of President Biden's plan to cancel $4.65 billion in Ukrainian debt.

  • Continuing Appropriations

    Extends federal funding through March 14, 2025.

House Votes

  • Climate-change Executive Orders

    Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) offered an amendment to prohibit funds authorized by this bill from being used to implement President Joe Biden's climate-change executive orders, which focused on tackling "climate change," promoting "clean energy," "conserving" natural resources, "improving" refugee programs, boosting domestic semiconductor production, and ensuring "environmental justice" for "underserved communities."

  • Ukraine Assistance

    Prohibits funds in the bill from going to Ukraine.

  • Abortion

    Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) offered an amendment to prohibit the secretary of defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services.

  • DEI Elimination

    Eliminates DEI offices and personnel from the Department of Defense.

  • Migrant Parole Program

    During consideration of the fiscal 2025 homeland-security appropriations bill (H.R. 8752), Representative Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) offered an amendment to prohibit funds in the bill from being used for the "Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans" (CHNV) parole program that incentivizes illegal mass migration from those four countries.

  • Defunding USAID

    Prohibits funding in the bill from being used for USAID.

  • Defunding the UN

    Prohibits funding in the bill from going to the UN or its affiliate agencies.

  • Education Department Title IX Rule

    Overturns Education Department rules that promoted far-left social policies at colleges and universities.

  • Conservation Programs

    Representative Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) made a motion to suspend the rules and pass S. 3791, the "America's Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024," which would reauthorize multiple conservation and wildlife programs through fiscal 2030.

  • Continuing Appropriations

    Extends federal funding through March 14, 2025.

Scorecard 118-4

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 118th Congress (January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal debt equals $323,046 per taxpayer, as of January 28, 2025.

Senate Votes

House Votes

Scorecard 118-3

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 118th Congress (January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal debt equals $266,953 per taxpayer, as of July 16, 2024.

Senate Votes

House Votes

  • IRS Firearms and Ammunition

    Strikes all funding for firearms and ammunition for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

  • Defunding OSHA

    Defunds the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

  • Consolidated Appropriations

    Appropriates $467.5 billion in federal funding for fiscal 2024.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Provides $60.8 billion for security assistance to Ukraine and replenishing stockpiles of military equipment already provided to Ukraine.

  • Carbon Sequestration

    Expands the Department of Energy's carbon-storage program to include carbon-sequestration projects.

  • Central Bank Digital Currency

    Prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) without congressional authorization.

Freedom Index 118-3 Download PDF

Our third look at the 118th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as federal spending, foreign aid, banning a central bank digital currency (House only), and prohibiting government censorship (Senate only).

The scores are derived by dividing a congressman’s constitutional votes (pluses) by the total number he cast (pluses and minuses) and multiplying by 100. The average House score for this index is 31 percent (56 percent for the Republicans and five percent for the Democrats), and the average Senate score is 32 percent (59 percent for the Republicans and seven percent for the Democrats). Thirteen representatives and five senators earned 100 percent. We encourage readers to examine how their own legislators voted on each of the 10 key measures. We also encourage readers to commend legislators for their constitutional votes, and to urge improvement where needed.

Senate Votes

  • Audit the Fed

    Requires a full audit of the Federal Reserve System.

  • U.S. Military in Syria

    Under the U.S. Constitution, the power to declare war belongs to Congress, and the United States should follow a policy of noninterventionism, minding its own business in foreign affairs.

  • Counting Noncitizens in Census

    The purpose of the U.S. Census is to determine the allotment of congressional seats and Electoral College votes for each state. Illegal aliens, who are not U.S. citizens, should not be counted toward determining those numbers. Furthermore, changing the demographics of a congressional district or state also changes the voting patterns of those areas.

  • Consolidated Appropriations

    Appropriates $467.5 billion in federal funding for fiscal 2024.

  • Free Speech

    Prohibits funds from being used by the federal government to label speech as "disinformation or misinformation" or to coerce online platforms to censor such speech.

  • Consolidated Appropriations

    Appropriates $1.2 trillion in total funding for fiscal 2024.

  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    Would reverse a December 2023 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rule that requires state transportation agencies to set targets for reducing transportation-related greenhouse-gas emissions and report to the FHWA on their progress.

  • Surveilling U.S. Citizens

    Prohibits federal officials from requesting orders under FISA to surveil U.S. persons, among other provisions.

  • FISA Reauthorization

    Would reauthorize for two years, until 2026, Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which governs electronic surveillance of foreign terrorism suspects.

  • Foreign Aid Package

    Provides a total of $95.3 billion in "emergency" aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

House Votes

  • IRS Firearms and Ammunition

    Strikes all funding for firearms and ammunition for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

  • Defunding OSHA

    Defunds the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

  • Mayorkas Impeachment

    Secretary Mayorkas deserves impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold office in the future. He has failed to uphold his duty to support and defend the U.S. Constitution by repeatedly violating laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security. His unlawful conduct has allowed illicit drugs and millions of illegal aliens to enter and remain in the United States annually by means of insecure borders. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress power to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization," as well as to call forth "the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions," and Article II, Section 4 provides that "all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of … high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

  • Consolidated Appropriations

    Appropriates $467.5 billion in federal funding for fiscal 2024.

  • Consolidated Appropriations

    We oppose this bill because of the many unconstitutional agencies and programs that it would fund, because it funds our further entanglement in the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas conflicts without a congressional declaration of war, and because this reckless spending is yielding record increases in the national debt.

  • FISA Reauthorization

    Would reauthorize for two years, until 2026, Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which governs electronic surveillance of foreign terrorism suspects.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Provides $60.8 billion for security assistance to Ukraine and replenishing stockpiles of military equipment already provided to Ukraine.

  • Carbon Sequestration

    Expands the Department of Energy's carbon-storage program to include carbon-sequestration projects.

  • Federal Police Grants

    Representative Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) made a motion to suspend the rules and pass S. 546, the "Recruit and Retain Act," which expands the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) federal grant program intended to support the recruitment efforts of law-enforcement agencies, including local police, throughout the country.

  • Central Bank Digital Currency

    Prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) without congressional authorization.

Scorecard 118-2

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 118th Congress (January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal debt equals $264,090 per taxpayer, as of January 9, 2024.

Senate Votes

House Votes

  • Ukraine

    Prohibits the use of federal funds to provide security assistance to Ukraine.

  • DEI Funding

    Prevents funds from being used to hire DEI officials or conduct DEI training.

  • FAA Reauthorization

    Reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through fiscal year 2028, and increases funding to the agency.

  • Migration and Refugee Assistance

    Eliminates all $2,548,250,000 of funding for the State Department's Migration and Refugee Assistance program.

  • Continuing Resolution

    Appropriates federal government funding at bloated fiscal 2023 levels from October 1, 2023 through November 17, 2023.

  • Defunding “Kill-switch” Mandate

    Defunds the federal "kill-switch" surveillance mandate for all new passenger vehicles.

Freedom Index 118-2 Download PDF

Our second look at the 118th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as continuing resolutions, abortion (House only), Ukraine (House only), and Covid vaccine mandates (Senate only).

Senate Votes

  • EPA Truck Emissions Rule (Veto Override)

    The federal government has no authority under the Constitution to implement environmental regulations. Furthermore, the EPA's rule feeds right into the climate-change hoax and, by extension, the UN's Agenda 2030, and would impose onerous regulations on businesses.

  • ATF Firearm Brace Rule

    Formally disapproves of an unconstitutional ATF rule expanding the definition of a "short-barreled rifle."

  • Declaration of War

    Recognizes that the North Atlantic Treaty "does not supersede the constitutional requirement that Congress declare war."

  • Covid Vaccine Mandates

    It is unconstitutional to force vaccinations on people.

  • Continuing Resolution

    Appropriates federal funding at bloated fiscal 2023 levels.

  • Mask Mandates

    The federal government has no authority under the Constitution to impose mask mandates.

  • U.S. Military in Niger

    The deployment of U.S. forces to Niger was not specifically authorized by Congress, and under the Constitution only Congress has the power to declare war.

  • Consolidated Appropriations Minibus

    Provides roughly $279 billion in spending for three of the 12 fiscal 2024 appropriations bills.

  • Student Loan Repayment Rule

    Formally disapproves of an unconstitutional Department of Education rule to repay and forgive student loans.

  • Spending Reductions

    Reduces funding in the bill for most federal agencies by 15 percent, and rescinds $30 billion in IRS enforcement funds.

House Votes

  • Abortion Services

    The right to life is the most fundamental, God-given, and unalienable right asserted in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

  • Ukraine

    Prohibits the use of federal funds to provide security assistance to Ukraine.

  • DEI Funding

    Prevents funds from being used to hire DEI officials or conduct DEI training.

  • FAA Reauthorization

    Reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through fiscal year 2028, and increases funding to the agency.

  • Electronic Identification Ear Tag Mandate

    The federal government has no authority under the Constitution to regulate agriculture. Furthermore, Hageman's amendment would push back against the United Nations' Agenda 2030, which is inherently contrary to the Constitution. Congress should eliminate all federal involvement in agriculture.

  • Migration and Refugee Assistance

    Eliminates all $2,548,250,000 of funding for the State Department's Migration and Refugee Assistance program.

  • Prohibiting UNESCO Funding

    Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress authorized to allocate federal funding to international organizations such as UNESCO. Such organizations threaten U.S. sovereignty and constitutionally protected freedoms, and the United States has no business being involved in them.

  • Continuing Resolution

    Appropriates federal government funding at bloated fiscal 2023 levels from October 1, 2023 through November 17, 2023.

  • National Monument Declarations

    Although the Founding Fathers did not envision the federal government indefinitely "owning" 30 percent of the land area of the states as it now does, they did grant Congress, not the president, the "Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States" (Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution). As to whether the federal government has the right to ownership and control of a large percentage of the land area of the states for an indefinite period of time, here's Founding Father Thomas Jefferson's answer in his Kentucky Resolutions of 1798: "The several states composing the United States of America, are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their General Government; but that by compact under the style and title of a Constitution for the United States and of amendments thereto, they constituted a General Government for special purposes, delegated to that Government certain definite powers, reserving each state to itself, the residuary mass of right to their own self Government; and that whensoever the General Government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force."

  • Defunding “Kill-switch” Mandate

    Defunds the federal "kill-switch" surveillance mandate for all new passenger vehicles.

Freedom Index 118-1 Download PDF

Our first look at the 118th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as the bipartisan debt-limit deal, ending the Covid national emergency, and ESG.

Senate Votes

  • ESG Fiduciary Rule

    Overturns the Labor Department's rule allowing retirement-plan fiduciaries to use ESG.

  • 2001 AUMF Repeal

    Repeals the unconstitutional 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force.

  • WHO Pandemic Treaty

    In recent decades both the Executive Branch and Congress have regularly skirted the constitutional requirement in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution that treaties have to be made with the "Advice and Consent of the Senate … provided two thirds of the Senators present concur." Instead of recognizing agreements as treaties, they unconstitutionally designate them as "executive agreements," thereby enabling the president and Congress to avoid seeking the advice and consent of the Senate and pass them by a simple majority of the House and Senate, rather than the more rigorous threshold of two-thirds of the senators present.

  • Federal Water Rule

    Both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the latest Biden administration rule were allowed to stand, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any body of water, no matter how small.

  • Terminate Covid-19 National Emergency

    It is unconstitutional to suspend the Constitution by declaring national public-health emergencies.

  • Abortion

    Overturns the Department of Veterans Affairs rule allowing medical coverage for abortion counseling and procedures.

  • Federal Firefighter Grants

    Unconstitutionally authorizes $95 million annually through fiscal 2030 for the USFA, increasing funding levels by 24 percent.

  • Equal Rights Amendment

    The claim that the ERA is a "valid … part of the Constitution" is a sham. When Congress submitted the ERA to the states for ratification in 1972, it set a seven-year ratification period that ended on March 22, 1979. During that period, 35 states ratified the ERA, but four of those states reconsidered and rescinded their ratifications. This left the ERA seven states short of the three-fourths majority (38 states) needed to become part of the Constitution. Prior to the deadline, when it became apparent the 38-state threshold would not be reached, Congress extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. This legally dubious extension caused a fifth state to rescind, and during the extension period no new states ratified. In recent years, three new states have ratified the ERA. But to claim that this makes the ERA part of the Constitution is to ignore the long-expired deadlines, as well as the five states that rescinded.

  • Spending Reductions

    Decreases federal spending from $4.8 to $3.9 trillion over four years.

  • Bipartisan Debt-limit Deal

    Suspends the debt limit through January 1, 2025 and create caps on "discretionary" spending for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, among many other dubious changes.

House Votes

  • Forced Vaccinations

    Eliminates the Health and Human Services (HHS) Covid-19 vaccine mandate on healthcare providers furnishing items and services in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified facilities.

  • Terminate Covid-19 National Emergency

    It is unconstitutional to suspend the Constitution by declaring national public-health emergencies.

  • Noncitizen Voting in Washington, D.C.

    The right to vote and choose representatives in America is retained solely by citizens of the United States, who, owing true faith and allegiance to the Constitution, are not subject to any foreign power. According to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution, Congress is granted the authority to "exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever" involving Washington, D.C.

  • ESG Fiduciary Rule

    Overturns the Labor Department's rule allowing retirement-plan fiduciaries to use ESG.

  • U.S. Military in Syria

    Directs the president to remove U.S. armed forces from Syria within 180 days of the adoption of the resolution.

  • Federal Water Rule

    Both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the latest Biden administration rule were allowed to stand, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any body of water, no matter how small.

  • ASEAN Relations

    Formally recognizes ASEAN as an international organization, with the same diplomatic privileges enjoyed by other foreign embassies.

  • Terminating Department of Education

    Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Education should be terminated.

  • Federal Air-pollutants Law

    Section 115 of the Clean Air Act has for decades served to disguise the federal government's unconstitutional seizure of control over the domestic energy sector - a plan designed to not only erode state sovereignty, but implement United Nations-led global "climate change" policy. The 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly reserves any such regulatory powers to the "States respectively, or to the people," as opposed to unelected, unaccountable foreign bureaucrats.

  • Bipartisan Debt-limit Deal

    Suspends the debt limit through January 1, 2025 and create caps on "discretionary" spending for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, among many other dubious changes.

Scorecard 118-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 118th Congress (January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal debt equals $253,357 per taxpayer, as of July 21, 2023.

Senate Votes

  • ESG Fiduciary Rule

    Overturns the Labor Department's rule allowing retirement-plan fiduciaries to use ESG.

  • 2001 AUMF Repeal

    Repeals the unconstitutional 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force.

  • Abortion

    Overturns the Department of Veterans Affairs rule allowing medical coverage for abortion counseling and procedures.

  • Federal Firefighter Grants

    Unconstitutionally authorizes $95 million annually through fiscal 2030 for the USFA, increasing funding levels by 24 percent.

  • Spending Reductions

    Decreases federal spending from $4.8 to $3.9 trillion over four years.

  • Bipartisan Debt-limit Deal

    Suspends the debt limit through January 1, 2025 and create caps on "discretionary" spending for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, among many other dubious changes.

House Votes

  • Forced Vaccinations

    Eliminates the Health and Human Services (HHS) Covid-19 vaccine mandate on healthcare providers furnishing items and services in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified facilities.

  • ESG Fiduciary Rule

    Overturns the Labor Department's rule allowing retirement-plan fiduciaries to use ESG.

  • U.S. Military in Syria

    Directs the president to remove U.S. armed forces from Syria within 180 days of the adoption of the resolution.

  • ASEAN Relations

    Formally recognizes ASEAN as an international organization, with the same diplomatic privileges enjoyed by other foreign embassies.

  • Terminating Department of Education

    Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Education should be terminated.

  • Bipartisan Debt-limit Deal

    Suspends the debt limit through January 1, 2025 and create caps on "discretionary" spending for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, among many other dubious changes.

Freedom Index 117-4 Download PDF

Our fourth (and final) look at the 117th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as an assault weapons ban (House only), marriage, and the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.

Senate Votes

  • Semiconductor Incentives

    Spends $54.2 billion on multiple unconstitutional research, development, and manufacturing programs, and authorizes an additional $168.7 billion in spending.

  • Foreign Aid

    Would offset the cost of S. 3373 by prohibiting USAID from distributing foreign-aid funds, other than to Israel, for 10 years.

  • Declaration of War

    Under the U.S. Constitution, only the Congress may declare war.

  • Expanding NATO

    NATO is based on the principle of collective security, as opposed to each country acting in its own best interests. Under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, "The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them … shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them … will assist the Party or Parties so attacked." The expansion of this entangling military alliance, which was comprised of just 12 members at the time of its founding, increases the likelihood of the United States being drawn into a military conflict.

  • Targeting Parents as Domestic Terrorists

    Congress should ensure that executive branch officials do not abridge parents' freedom of speech or their right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances, which is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

  • Inflation Reduction Act

    Spends at least $512 billion on multiple unconstitutional and left-wing programs and initiatives.

  • Hydrofluorocarbons Reduction

    Ratifies the Kigali Amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, requiring the U.S. to increase regulations.

  • Terminate Covid-19 National Emergency

    It is unconstitutional to suspend the U.S. Constitution by declaring national public health emergencies.

  • Marriage

    Repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and codifies the "right" to marry regardless of sexual orientation.

  • Omnibus 2023 Spending

    Spends $1.7 trillion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

House Votes

  • U.S. Military in Syria

    According to the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war. It is long past time to bring the troops home from Syria, especially considering that Congress never issued a declaration of war in relation to the country.

  • Abortion Access

    The right to life is the most fundamental, God-given, and unalienable right asserted in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

  • Expanding NATO

    Expresses support for Sweden and Finland joining NATO and calls on NATO member states to formally support the countries' accession.

  • Semiconductor Incentives

    Spends $54.2 billion on multiple unconstitutional research, development, and manufacturing programs, and authorizes an additional $168.7 billion in spending.

  • Assault Weapons Ban

    This bill is a gross violation of the U.S. Constitution, especially the Second Amendment, which recognizes that "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This is one step closer to a disarmed America - with the assistance of taxpayer dollars.

  • Inflation Reduction Act

    Spends at least $512 billion on multiple unconstitutional and left-wing programs and initiatives.

  • Electoral Count Procedures

    This bill undermines election integrity, infringes upon state sovereignty, and makes changes that are inconsistent with Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution.

  • Federal Police Grants

    Spends a total of $300 million over five years on unconstitutional grants to local police, threatening their independence.

  • Marriage

    Repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and codifies the "right" to marry regardless of sexual orientation.

  • Omnibus 2023 Spending

    Spends $1.7 trillion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

Scorecard 117-4

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 117th Congress (January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal Debt Equals $246,867 per taxpayer, as of January 24, 2023.

Senate Votes

  • Semiconductor Incentives

    Spends $54.2 billion on multiple unconstitutional research, development, and manufacturing programs, and authorizes an additional $168.7 billion in spending.

  • Foreign Aid

    Would offset the cost of S. 3373 by prohibiting USAID from distributing foreign-aid funds, other than to Israel, for 10 years.

  • Inflation Reduction Act

    Spends at least $512 billion on multiple unconstitutional and left-wing programs and initiatives.

  • Hydrofluorocarbons Reduction

    Ratifies the Kigali Amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, requiring the U.S. to increase regulations.

  • Marriage

    Repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and codifies the "right" to marry regardless of sexual orientation.

  • Omnibus 2023 Spending

    Spends $1.7 trillion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

House Votes

  • Expanding NATO

    Expresses support for Sweden and Finland joining NATO and calls on NATO member states to formally support the countries' accession.

  • Semiconductor Incentives

    Spends $54.2 billion on multiple unconstitutional research, development, and manufacturing programs, and authorizes an additional $168.7 billion in spending.

  • Inflation Reduction Act

    Spends at least $512 billion on multiple unconstitutional and left-wing programs and initiatives.

  • Federal Police Grants

    Spends a total of $300 million over five years on unconstitutional grants to local police, threatening their independence.

  • Marriage

    Repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and codifies the "right" to marry regardless of sexual orientation.

  • Omnibus 2023 Spending

    Spends $1.7 trillion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

Freedom Index 117-3 Download PDF

Our third look at the 117th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as Covid aid, Ukraine aid, and gun control.

Senate Votes

  • Debt Limit Increase

    Allowed the the Senate to pass a $2.5 trillion debt-limit increase, bypassing the filibuster and other normal obstacles to passage.

  • Federalizing Voting

    Not only does this bill undermine election integrity, but it infringes upon federalism and state sovereignty as established under the Constitution and its 10th Amendment.

  • Vaccine Mandates

    Would "prohibit funding for COVID-19 vaccine mandates."

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Spends $1.5 trillion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

  • Transportation Mask Mandates

    The CDC rule requiring persons to wear masks while on planes, trains, and buses is unconstitutional based on the 10th Amendment.

  • Ketanji Brown Jackson Nomination

    Jackson is supportive of unconstitutional actions and clearly supports the woke agenda.

  • Abortion

    Roe v. Wade was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, giving states the power to determine how they handle abortions. There is no constitutional provision granting a right to abortion. Many of our healthcare providers are subsidized by taxpayers, and government should not subsidize the killing of innocent human life.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Unconstitutionally spends $40.1 billion in aid to Ukraine.

  • Covid Aid

    Unconstitutionally spends $48 billion in grants to small businesses harmed by government Covid restrictions.

  • Gun Control

    Implements new federal gun controls and mental-health programs.

House Votes

  • Federalizing Voting

    Not only does this bill undermine election integrity, but it infringes upon federalism and state sovereignty as established under the Constitution and its 10th Amendment.

  • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

    The UNFCCC infringes on U.S. sovereignty and places an undue burden on American industry, workers, and taxpayers. Meeting the emission goals of the UNFCCC would significantly reduce U.S. economic output. Furthermore, the treaty requires the United States and other industrialized nations to provide economic assistance to fund climate-change action in "developing nations," such as China.

  • Competitiveness Package

    Unconstitutionally authorizes $350 billion over five years for federal funding of research and development programs, along with leftist-agenda items.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Spends $927.4 billion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Spends about $600 billion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

  • NATO

    The United States should stay clear of entangling alliances such as NATO, but also because NATO obligates the United States to go to war if any member of NATO is attacked. Specifically, under the North Atlantic Treaty that established NATO in 1949, member nations "agree that an armed attack against one or more of them … shall be considered an attack against them all." This agreement undermines the provision in the U.S. Constitution that assigns to Congress the power to declare war. There are now 30 countries in NATO, and an attack on any one of them could pull the United States into a war that neither Congress nor the American people want.

  • Peter Navarro

    Honoring the subpoenas would undermine the constitutional separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government. President Trump had invoked executive privilege, and as Navarro pointed out, "it is not my privilege to waive" it. The January 6 committee is not a court of law; it is a kangaroo court. In fact, it was rigged from the beginning, when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took the unprecedented action of nixing two of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) choices for the committee - Representatives Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Pelosi instead put on the so-called bipartisan committee RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) Liz Cheney (Wy.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.).

  • Covid Aid

    Unconstitutionally spends $55 billion in grants to small businesses harmed by government Covid restrictions.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Unconstitutionally spends $40.1 billion in aid to Ukraine.

  • Gun Control

    Implements new federal gun controls and mental-health programs.

Scorecard 117-3

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 117th Congress (January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal Debt Equals $243,797 per taxpayer, as of August 12, 2022.

Senate Votes

  • Debt Limit Increase

    Allowed the the Senate to pass a $2.5 trillion debt-limit increase, bypassing the filibuster and other normal obstacles to passage.

  • Vaccine Mandates

    Would "prohibit funding for COVID-19 vaccine mandates."

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Spends $1.5 trillion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Unconstitutionally spends $40.1 billion in aid to Ukraine.

  • Covid Aid

    Unconstitutionally spends $48 billion in grants to small businesses harmed by government Covid restrictions.

  • Gun Control

    Implements new federal gun controls and mental-health programs.

House Votes

  • Competitiveness Package

    Unconstitutionally authorizes $350 billion over five years for federal funding of research and development programs, along with leftist-agenda items.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Spends $927.4 billion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Spends about $600 billion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

  • Covid Aid

    Unconstitutionally spends $55 billion in grants to small businesses harmed by government Covid restrictions.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Unconstitutionally spends $40.1 billion in aid to Ukraine.

  • Gun Control

    Implements new federal gun controls and mental-health programs.

Freedom Index 117-2 Download PDF

Our second look at the 117th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as abortion, Build Back Better (House only), and COVID vaccine mandates (Senate only).

Senate Votes

  • Infrastructure

    Spends $1.2 trillion on wasteful projects and socialized programs.

  • Fracking

    The federal government should not interfere with energy exploration. Regulation of various industries, such as energy, is not one of the federal government's enumerated powers under the Constitution. Allowing the United States to fully utilize its energy resources would make the country more self-sufficient and potentially create millions of jobs.

  • Abortion

    There is no constitutional provision granting a right to abortion, Roe v. Wade notwithstanding; and pro-life taxpayers should not be forced to fund a lethal practice that violates their deeply held religious convictions.

  • Balancing the Budget

    Would reduce federal spending by over $500 billion and eliminate the deficit by fiscal 2026.

  • Critical Race Theory

    Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress authorized to allocate federal funding for education or to promote any particular curriculum in schools. Furthermore, critical Race Theory (CRT) is a radical and divisive theory that forces students to see and acknowledge others primarily by their skin color and racial ancestry, rather than by individual merits. CRT is part of the broader Marxist-inspired "Black Lives Matter" agenda and has its roots in Marxist "Critical Theory" originating from the Frankfurt School and Fabian Socialists. The federal government has no business promoting this extremist, anti-American agenda in our children's schools.

  • Police

    Unconstitutionally funds the hiring of 100,000 new local police officers nationwide with federal money.

  • Budget Resolution

    Sets budgetary levels to guide Congress in crafting, and is a necessary first step for the then-$3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act.

  • Federalizing Voting

    Implements a sweeping federalization of American elections. Mandates nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration, and mail-in voting.

  • Voting Rights

    Among other radical changes, gives the U.S. Department of Justice the power to unilaterally approve or reject any state election-law changes.

  • COVID Vaccine Mandates

    The Constitution does not grant the power to any branch of the federal government to force citizens to submit to vaccinations.

House Votes

  • Juneteenth Federal Holiday

    The United States already observes 10 other federal holidays. Furthermore, seeing as slavery ended on December 6, not June 19, the inclusion of the words "National Independence Day" to Juneteenth creates the appearance of supplanting July 4 as America's Independence Day. This perpetuates a false and dangerous notion that the United States has different days of independence depending on one's race or ancestry, and is consistent with the communist tactic of "dividing the people" along racial lines.

  • National Science Foundation

    Authorizes $77.9 billion for federal funding of science and engineering research and development. Promotes a radical climate-change agenda.

  • Global Health Security Strategy

    Requires the president to take actions promoting U.S. integration in globalist, UN-tied health programs.

  • North and West Africa Interventionism

    Establishes a counterterrorism program in North and West Africa, dragging the U.S. into an unconstitutional, entangling alliance.

  • January 6 Committee

    Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows' lawsuit, which describes the committee's actions as "unconstitutional," rightfully points out, "To the extent Congress seeks to utilize subpoenas to investigate and punish perceived criminal wrongdoing, it unconstitutionally intrudes on the prerogatives of the Executive Branch." Furthermore, the January 6 Committee is part of a growing trend toward tyranny and political persecution.

  • State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill

    Spends $62.2 billion on the State Department and other foreign-affairs matters. Loaded with foreign aid and climate-change provisions.

  • Voting Rights

    Not only does this bill undermine election integrity, but it infringes upon state sovereignty as established under the 10th Amendment, subjugating it to the whims of federal bureaucrats.

  • Abortion

    Abortion has nothing to do with the protection of women's health, despite the name of the bill; and there is no right to an abortion in the Constitution, the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision notwithstanding.

  • Infrastructure

    Spends $1.2 trillion on wasteful projects and socialized programs.

  • Build Back Better

    Spends $1.75 trillion on a wide range of left-wing, Great-Reset programs.

Scorecard 117-2

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 117th Congress (January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal Debt Equals $238,534 per taxpayer, as of January 20, 2022.

Senate Votes

  • Infrastructure

    Spends $1.2 trillion on wasteful projects and socialized programs.

  • Balancing the Budget

    Would reduce federal spending by over $500 billion and eliminate the deficit by fiscal 2026.

  • Police

    Unconstitutionally funds the hiring of 100,000 new local police officers nationwide with federal money.

  • Budget Resolution

    Sets budgetary levels to guide Congress in crafting, and is a necessary first step for the then-$3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act.

  • Federalizing Voting

    Implements a sweeping federalization of American elections. Mandates nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration, and mail-in voting.

  • Voting Rights

    Among other radical changes, gives the U.S. Department of Justice the power to unilaterally approve or reject any state election-law changes.

House Votes

Freedom Index 117-1 Download PDF

Our first look at the 117th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as the impeachment of President Trump, coronavirus appropriations, and federalizing voting.

Senate Votes

  • Trump Impeachment (On the Motion to Table)

    Paul's point is constitutionally unassailable. The Constitution states, "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Yet as of January 20, when Joe Biden was sworn in as president, Trump was a private citizen to whom the impeachment power does not apply.

  • Deficit Reduction

    Would reduce federal spending by $67.4 billion in fiscal 2022 alone, and by a total of $7.2 trillion over 10 years.

  • Enforce DHS Asylum Policies

    Would allow for legislation enforcing the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy that requires illegal migrants attempting to gain asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico.

  • Trump Impeachment

    The Senate may not constitutionally convict a private citizen, and Trump did not commit any crime.

  • Coronavirus Appropriations

    Spends $1.9 trillion on unconstitutional programs in the name of coronavirus relief.

  • Paycheck Protection Program Extension

    Extends the Treasury Department's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from March 31 to June 30, 2021 despite no constitutional authorization.

  • National Monument Water Rights

    Would have limited the federal government's unconstitutional authority to reserve water rights when designating a national monument.

  • Embryonic Research Restriction

    Would have banned taxpayer funds in S. 1260 from going to research that destroys or creates human embryos.

  • Research and Development Package

    Unconstitutionally authorizes $250 billion over five years for federal funding of research and development programs.

  • Federalizing Voting

    Would implement a sweeping federalization of American elections with provisions that would severely damage election integrity, including nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration, mail-in voting, and early voting.

House Votes

  • Trump Impeachment

    Trump had not committed any crime - much less "high Crimes and Misdemeanors" (the constitutional standard for impeachment).

  • Equality Act

    Expands definition of protected classes in federal law to include "gender identity." Males who identify as females would be able to use public restrooms of the opposite sex - and vice versa. Lacks any religious exemptions.

  • Police Reform

    Would establish national standards for police departments, another step toward a federal takeover of local police, and aims to defund police departments in favor of leftist "community organizations."

  • Federalizing Voting

    Would implement a sweeping federalization of American elections with provisions that would severely damage election integrity, including nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration, mail-in voting, and early voting.

  • Collective Bargaining

    Ends state right-to-work laws, empowers the feds to force employees to unionize against their will, encourages illegal aliens to join unions, and aligns U.S. labor laws with the USMCA's requirements.

  • Coronavirus Appropriations

    Spends $1.9 trillion on unconstitutional programs in the name of coronavirus relief.

  • Background Checks

    Would criminalize most private firearms transactions unless they include an FBI background check, representing a major infringement on our God-given right to keep and bear arms.

  • Agricultural Migrant Amnesty

    Gives amnesty to over 1.5 million illegal aliens in the agriculture industry and changes the H-2A visa program to make it more attractive to migrants and increase chain migration.

  • Washington, D.C., Statehood

    Would admit most of the District of Columbia as the 51st state and give it full representation in Congress, with two U.S. senators and one U.S. representative.

  • Iraq AUMF Repeal

    Repeals the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, which unconstitutionally abdicated Congress's war powers.

Scorecard 117-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 117th Congress (January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Federal Debt Equals $287,859 per Taxpaying Household, as of December 15, 2021.

Senate Votes

House Votes

  • Collective Bargaining

    Ends state right-to-work laws, empowers the feds to force employees to unionize against their will, encourages illegal aliens to join unions, and aligns U.S. labor laws with the USMCA's requirements.

  • Coronavirus Appropriations

    Spends $1.9 trillion on unconstitutional programs in the name of coronavirus relief.

  • Agricultural Migrant Amnesty

    Gives amnesty to over 1.5 million illegal aliens in the agriculture industry and changes the H-2A visa program to make it more attractive to migrants and increase chain migration.

  • Iraq AUMF Repeal

    Repeals the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, which unconstitutionally abdicated Congress's war powers.

  • Infrastructure

    Spends $1.2 trillion on wasteful projects and socialized programs.

  • Build Back Better

    Spends $1.75 trillion on a wide range of left-wing, Great-Reset programs.

Scorecard 116-1

In this Scorecard, we chose the most crucial votes of the 116th Congress (January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021). This includes legislation that violates the Constitution and infringes on individual rights, bills that expand the size and scope of government, and measures that surrender U.S. sovereignty and self-government.

Senate Votes

  • Appropriations/Coronavirus

    Spends $1.4 trillion in discretionary appropriations and another $900 billion in Covid aid.

  • Surveilling Americans

    Prohibits surveillance of American citizens under FISA authorities.

  • Spending Cut

    Cuts the appropriation bill's funding for federal operations and services by 2 percent.

  • Public Lands

    Permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million annually. Creates the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (NPPLLRF), funded at $1.9 billion annually for five years.

  • Appropriations

    Provides $860.3 billion in discretionary spending for four of the 12 fiscal 2020 appropriations bills.

  • Abortion funding

    Prohibits the use of federal funds to cover the cost of most abortions.

House Votes

  • USMCA

    Contains the most dangerous provisions of NAFTA and the TPP. It will lead to a North American regional government similar to the European Union.

  • On Agreeing to the Amendment 33 to H R 2500

    Would prohibit indefinite military detention of any person (including Americans). Indefinite detention without trial violates habeas corpus.

  • Equality Act

    Expands definition of protected classes in federal law to include "gender identity." Males who identify as females would be able to use public restrooms of the opposite sex - and vice versa.

  • Paris Agreement

    Would prohibit the use of federal funds for withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Fulfilling the agreement would stifle U.S. economy without impacting on alleged man-made global warming.

  • Firearms Background Checks

    Extends federal background checks to private sales, severely and unconstitutionally infringing on the right to keep and bear arms.

  • Consolidated Appropriations (H.J.R. 31)

    Provides $333 billion in "discretionary" spending for the seven remaining fiscal 2019 appropriations bills. Most of the bill's spending programs are unconstitutional.

Scorecard 115-4

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 115th Congress (January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

House Votes

Freedom Index 115-4 Download PDF

Our final (fourth) look at the 115th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on such key issues as a carbon tax (House), tax cuts (House), and farm and food programs (Senate).

Senate Votes

  • Farm and Food Programs

    The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to subsidize food or agriculture. Moreover, food subsidies have done little to lift people out of poverty, and farm subsidies have caused market distortions as the government essentially picks winners and losers in the food production industry.

  • NATO

    To reaffirm the U.S. commitment to NATO.

  • Spending Cuts

    The federal government needs to start reining in climbing federal spending (and deficits) somewhere in order to avert fiscal disaster.

  • Appropriations for Interior-Environment, Treasury, and Transportation-HUD

    Much of this spending falls outside the federal government's constitutionally delegated powers. The unconstitutional spending includes federal social-welfare programs such as food and farm subsidies and housing subsidies (under HUD). Also, lumping multiple appropriations bills together, as opposed to voting on them separately, reduces lawmakers' accountability.

  • Planned Parenthood

    To prohibit federal funding of Planned Parenthood.

  • Opioid Abuse Prevention and Health Programs

    Medicare and Medicaid are both unconstitutional programs. The U.S. Constitution gives no authority to the federal government to pay people's medical expenses, no matter how poor or disabled they are. Such assistance should be handled by states, charity, or the free market. Any expansion of Medicare or Medicaid, which is what this bill authorizes, should be voted against.

  • Appropriations for Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, and Continuing Appropriations

    Would provide $855.1 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2019.

  • FAA Reauthorization and Supplemental Disaster Appropriations

    Reauthorizes appropriations for the FAA and TSA, as well as $1.7 billion for Hurricane Florence disaster relief.

  • Short-Term Health Insurance Plans

    Would nullify the rule from the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and HHS that would expand the duration of short-term health insurance plans.

  • Yemen

    To advance Senate Joint Res. 54, which would remove U.S. Armed Forces from "hostilities" in Yemen that have "not been authorized by Congress."

House Votes

  • Law Enforcement Partnership Grants

    Authorizes $50 million a year from 2019-2021 for the Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Program.

  • Emissions Standards

    The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to regulate the environment in general, let alone regulate methane emissions that accompany oil and natural gas production, processing, and distribution.

  • Carbon Tax

    Declares that a carbon tax would be "detrimental to American families and businesses" and "not in the best interest of the United States."

  • Medical Device Tax Repeal

    This particular excise tax was put in place to help pay for an unconstitutional program - the Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare. Repealing part of the funding for such an unconstitutional federal healthcare program is a good thing and should be supported.

  • Flood Insurance

    The Constitution does not give the federal government authority to get into the insurance business. Having the federal government as an insurer essentially subsidizes risky behavior, such as building in flood-, fire-, and earthquake-prone areas, and forces the taxpayer to pick up the tab. Insurance policies for natural disasters should be offered by private insurers, with the market setting the rates for such coverage.

  • Appropriations for Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, and Continuing Appropriations

    Would provide $855.1 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2019.

  • FAA Reauthorization and Supplemental Disaster Appropriations

    Reauthorizes appropriations for the FAA and TSA, as well as $1.7 billion for Hurricane Florence disaster relief.

  • Tax Cuts

    Would make permanent the tax cuts for individuals in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that were set to expire at the end of 2025.

  • Opioid Abuse Prevention and Health Programs

    Expands Medicare and Medicaid to cover medication-assisted treatment for substance abuse.

  • Gray Wolves

    Decisions regarding human interaction with various animal species, if handled by government at all, should be handled at the state and local levels. The U.S. Constitution does not give the federal government the authority to declare animals endangered and thus off-limits to hunt or otherwise manage. The growing gray wolf population has been a menace to farmers and ranchers in many states, and farmers are not allowed to protect their own property owing to federal regulations. Working to overturn such regulations is a good thing.

Scorecard 115-3

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 115th Congress (January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

House Votes

  • Warrantless Surveillance

    Would reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through 2023, allowing secret FISA Court-approved surveillance of American citizens.

  • World Bank

    Would authorize $3.29 billion in foreign aid to the World Bank International Development Association.

  • School Violence

    Would authorize $75 million a year through 2028 for the Justice Department's Secure Our Schools grant program.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Would provide $1.3 trillion in wasteful and unconstitutional government spending.

  • Waters of the United States

    To repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 "Waters of the United States" rule.

  • Experimental Drugs

    Would allow patients with life-threatening conditions to seek access to experimental drugs directly from a manufacturer without FDA approval.

Freedom Index 115-3 Download PDF

Our third look at the 115th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill, warrantless surveillance, raw milk (House), and illegal immigration (Senate).

Senate Votes

  • Warrantless Surveillance

    Would reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through 2023, allowing secret FISA Court-approved surveillance of American citizens.

  • Immigration (DACA)

    To provide "conditional permanent residence" (i.e., amnesty) to DACA program recipients.

  • Immigration (Sanctuary Cities)

    The flood of illegal immigrants into the United States has risen to the level of an invasion swamping our Republic, and political entities that provide sanctuary to illegal aliens in contravention of federal immigration laws should not expect to do so while receiving federal aid.

  • U.S. Military Intervention in Yemen

    Would remove U.S. Armed Forces from "hostilities" in Yemen that have "not been authorized by Congress."

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Would provide $1.3 trillion in wasteful and unconstitutional government spending.

  • Net Neutrality

    Regulation of the Internet is not a proper function of the federal government under the Constitution. The new FCC rule under Commissioner Pai was more of a hands-off approach to the Internet, allowing service providers to set their own rules. This is the correct approach, as any provider "throttling" service or overcharging customers will lose business to more competitive providers in a free market setting. Government, in scenarios such as these, will nearly always cause more problems than it claims to attempt to solve. Case in point: Regulations are not always applied equally, as under the Obama FCC rule some sites were forced to "play fair," while some of the big guys, such as Netflix and Google, could still set their own rules.

  • Haspel Nomination

    Haspel was complicit in the use of torture, including waterboarding, a violation of U.S. law as well as the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishments."

  • Indefinite Detention

    To uphold the right to due process for U.S. citizens and permanent residents on American soil.

  • Appropriations Cuts

    This spending falls outside the scope of constitutionally authorized federal powers, and the federal government needs to start reining in ballooning federal spending (and debt) somewhere in order to avert fiscal disaster. The cuts in this bill comprise only a fraction of one percent of total federal spending, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, most of the unspent funding targeted by the bill would not be spent anyway. Yet modest cuts are better than none at all.

  • Waters of the United States

    To repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 "Waters of the United States" rule.

House Votes

  • Warrantless Surveillance

    To end NSA collection of communications data that is neither to nor from an approved foreign target, but rather communications "about" a foreign target entirely between American citizens.

  • Warrantless Surveillance

    Would reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through 2023, allowing secret FISA Court-approved surveillance of American citizens.

  • World Bank

    Would authorize $3.29 billion in foreign aid to the World Bank International Development Association.

  • School Violence

    Would authorize $75 million a year through 2028 for the Justice Department's Secure Our Schools grant program.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Would provide $1.3 trillion in wasteful and unconstitutional government spending.

  • Agricultural Crop Subsidies

    Would have phased out agricultural crop subsidies by fiscal year 2030.

  • Raw Milk

    The U.S. Constitution does not give the federal government any authority over what foods a person chooses to consume. In other words, it is illegal for the federal government to make raw milk illegal. While the federal government does have authority to "regulate Commerce … among the several States," there is no reason for federal interference in a scenario such as this, where a product is legally sold in each of the states in question.

  • Waters of the United States

    To repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 "Waters of the United States" rule.

  • Experimental Drugs

    Would allow patients with life-threatening conditions to seek access to experimental drugs directly from a manufacturer without FDA approval.

  • Appropriations Cuts

    Would cut nearly $15 billion from previously approved, unspent, and wasteful spending.

Scorecard 115-2

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 115th Congress (January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

  • NATO

    To "affirm" that the U.S. remains "fully committed" to NATO.

  • John Kenneth Bush Nomination

    Confirms President Trump's appointment of John Kenneth Bush to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • Repeal of ObamaCare

    Would have expired the expansion of Medicaid, prohibited tax credits for healthcare plans that provide abortion coverage, banned federal funds for abortion, and repealed the ObamaCare mandates.

  • Sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea

    Would establish new sanctions and expand certain existing sanctions on Russian, Iran, and North Korea.

  • War Authorization

    To repeal, six months after the bill's enactment, the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

  • Budget Cut

    Would cut $43 billion in federal budget authority in fiscal 2018.

House Votes

  • Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations

    Would overhaul financial industry regulations and repeal many provisions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law.

  • NATO

    "[S]olemnly reaffirms" the U.S. commitment to NATO based on principle of "collective defense."

  • Intelligence Authorization

    Authorizes classified amounts of funding through fiscal 2018 for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities, including the Office of the National Intelligence Director, the CIA, and the National Security Agency.

  • UN Human Rights Agencies

    Prohibits the use of federal funds for making contributions to various UN human rights agencies.

  • Abortion

    Bans abortion when the age of the pre-born baby is 20 weeks or longer.

  • Tax Cuts

    Would cut the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and individual income tax rates through 2025, and effectively eliminate the tax penalty on Americans who do not purchase health insurance.

Freedom Index 115-2 Download PDF

Our second look at the 115th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as NATO, ObamaCare, and tax cuts.

Senate Votes

  • NATO

    To "affirm" that the U.S. remains "fully committed" to NATO.

  • John Kenneth Bush Nomination

    Confirms President Trump's appointment of John Kenneth Bush to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • Repeal of ObamaCare

    Would have expired the expansion of Medicaid, prohibited tax credits for healthcare plans that provide abortion coverage, banned federal funds for abortion, and repealed the ObamaCare mandates.

  • Sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea

    Would establish new sanctions and expand certain existing sanctions on Russian, Iran, and North Korea.

  • War Authorization

    To repeal, six months after the bill's enactment, the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

  • Ajit Pai Nomination

    The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to get involved in the Internet, which operates best without intrusive government regulation.

  • More Government Healthcare

    The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to get involved in healthcare, and all government meddling causes more healthcare problems, such as rising healthcare costs.

  • Budget Cut

    Would cut $43 billion in federal budget authority in fiscal 2018.

  • Disaster Relief

    Federal involvement in natural disaster relief is not only unconstitutional, but also wasteful, inefficient, ineffective, and often harmful. Disaster relief is much better handled by states, counties, and local communities, coupled with volunteer efforts from across the country.

  • Tax Cuts

    The tax cuts in this bill will keep more money in the hands of American businesses and consumers, where it can be invested into the economy, thus spurring economic growth. Unfortunately, however, the bill does not address federal spending, which needs to be reined in via other legislation.

House Votes

  • Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations

    Would overhaul financial industry regulations and repeal many provisions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law.

  • NATO

    "[S]olemnly reaffirms" the U.S. commitment to NATO based on principle of "collective defense."

  • Ozone Standards

    This bill provides temporary relief from having to immediately implement the new ozone reduction standards. Ideally, the EPA should be abolished and the Clean Air Act repealed, since both are unconstitutional infringements on state responsibilities.

  • Intelligence Authorization

    Authorizes classified amounts of funding through fiscal 2018 for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities, including the Office of the National Intelligence Director, the CIA, and the National Security Agency.

  • UN Human Rights Agencies

    Prohibits the use of federal funds for making contributions to various UN human rights agencies.

  • Fracking

    Would effectively prohibit fracking in the Pacific outer continental shelf.

  • Home Visitations

    Going into homes to check up on the physical, emotional, and economic "wellness" of families not only goes way beyond the few and defined federal powers authorized by the Constitution, but also is part of a dangerous trend of government further interjecting itself into the family.

  • Abortion

    Bans abortion when the age of the pre-born baby is 20 weeks or longer.

  • Death Panel

    The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to interfere in healthcare, let alone ration it by deciding who should and should not receive medical care.

  • Tax Cuts

    Would cut the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and individual income tax rates through 2025, and effectively eliminate the tax penalty on Americans who do not purchase health insurance.

Freedom Index 115-1 Download PDF

Our first look at the 115th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as the GOP’s ObamaCare replacement bill (House), federal funding for abortion (House), and NATO (Senate).

Senate Votes

  • Balancing the Budget

    Would remove $9.7 trillion worth of new debt and balance the budget by 2024.

  • Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid

    The rapid projected growth in future spending for social "entitlement" programs under current law is unsustainable due to both the declining ratio between workers and Social Security recipients, and also the fact that people are living longer. Plus, there is no constitutional authorization for these programs. Those who genuinely want to help the needy should recognize that the best way to do it is to phase out government social-welfare programs in favor of private alternatives.

  • Stream Protection Rule

    Would nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued in 2016 by the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

  • Firearms Purchases

    Would nullify a Social Security rule that outlines reporting information on individuals to the FBI's firearm background checks system (NICS).

  • Predator Control

    Since the power of wildlife management was not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, it is reserved to Alaska and the other 49 states according to the 10th Amendment.

  • Montenegro NATO Membership

    The United States should stay clear of entangling alliances such as NATO. Moreover, NATO also obligates that the United States go to war if any member of NATO is attacked, which undermines the provision in the U.S. Constitution that assigns to Congress the power to declare war. Montenegro, which was part of communist Yugoslavia during the Cold War era, is now one of 28 countries the United States is obligated to defend under NATO.

  • Federal Family Planning

    Would nullify a HHS rule that prevents states that distribute federal family planning funding from prohibiting receipt of funds by abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Would provide $1.16 trillion in discretionary appropriations through September 30, 2017.

  • Blocking U.S. Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

    The United States should not interject itself in foreign conflicts such as the civil war in Yemen (via arms sales to one of the combatants in that conflict -- Saudi Arabia), and should not take steps tantamount to going to war without a declaration of war by Congress.

  • Iranian and Russian Sanctions

    Would impose new sanctions on Iran and Russia, and codify sanctions imposed by the Obama administration on Russia.

House Votes

  • Major Regulations

    Would require congressional approval before any "major rule" issued by an executive branch agency could go into effect.

  • Federal Funding for Abortion

    Would prohibit both federal funds and the District of Columbia's funds from being used to pay for abortions.

  • Stream Protection Rule

    Would nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued in 2016 by the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

  • Predator Control

    This legislation reaffirms Alaska's sovereign power to manage its wildlife. Since the power of wildlife management was not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, it is reserved to Alaska and the other 49 states according to the 10th Amendment.

  • Federal Family Planning

    This bill limits the power of an unconstitutional federal government agency. The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to get involved in healthcare, much less establish a Department of Health and Human Services, so any attempt to limit the power of an unconstitutional federal agency is a step in the right direction.

  • Veteran Gun Purchases

    Prohibits the U.S. government from preventing individuals from purchasing a gun simply by claiming the individual is "mentally incompetent."

  • Homeland Security Defense of Agriculture

    This bill expands the "War on Terror" to include the fictitious and non-existent threat of "agro-terrorism" in the American homeland, thereby further interjecting the U.S. government into the agriculture sector, despite the absence of any constitutional power to manage this or any other sector of the American economy.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Would provide $1.16 trillion in wasteful and unconstitutional government spending over the span of just under five months.

  • ObamaCare Replacement

    Would retain much of ObamaCare under the guise of "repeal and replace."

  • National Computer Forensics Institute Authorization

    Providing federal equipment and training to state and local law-enforcement officers not only is unconstitutional, but also further federalizes the police system.

Scorecard 115-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 115th Congress (January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

  • Balancing the Budget

    Would remove $9.7 trillion worth of new debt and balance the budget by 2024.

  • Stream Protection Rule

    Would nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued in 2016 by the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

  • Firearms Purchases

    Would nullify a Social Security rule that outlines reporting information on individuals to the FBI's firearm background checks system (NICS).

  • Federal Family Planning

    Would nullify a HHS rule that prevents states that distribute federal family planning funding from prohibiting receipt of funds by abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Would provide $1.16 trillion in discretionary appropriations through September 30, 2017.

  • Iranian and Russian Sanctions

    Would impose new sanctions on Iran and Russia, and codify sanctions imposed by the Obama administration on Russia.

House Votes

  • Major Regulations

    Would require congressional approval before any "major rule" issued by an executive branch agency could go into effect.

  • Federal Funding for Abortion

    Would prohibit both federal funds and the District of Columbia's funds from being used to pay for abortions.

  • Stream Protection Rule

    Would nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued in 2016 by the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

  • Veteran Gun Purchases

    Prohibits the U.S. government from preventing individuals from purchasing a gun simply by claiming the individual is "mentally incompetent."

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Would provide $1.16 trillion in wasteful and unconstitutional government spending over the span of just under five months.

  • ObamaCare Replacement

    Would retain much of ObamaCare under the guise of "repeal and replace."

Scorecard 114-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 113th Congress (January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

  • Trade Promotion Authority

    Renews the on-again-off-again "fast track authority" that Congress has often awarded to the president over the past several decades.

  • Raising the Spending Cap and Suspending the National Debt Limit

    Temporarily suspends the national debt limit and puts a ceiling on how much money the federal government is allowed to borrow.

  • TSA

    Authorize funding for additional Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

  • Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

    Prohibits the use of funds to carry out the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule and notice of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

  • GMO Labeling

    Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a national mandatory disclosure standard for genetically modified organism (GMO) food.

  • Continuing Appropriations

    Provides funding for federal government operations at the fiscal year 2016 level through 4/28/2017 at an annualized rate of $1.07 trillion.

House Votes

  • Amtrack Reauthorization

    Authorizes $7.2 billion for Amtrak funding over the next four years.

  • Trade Promotion Authority

    The House held separate roll call votes on the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) sections of H.R. 1314.

  • Environmental Executive Orders

    Prohibits the use of funds for President Obama's executive orders that require the Defense Department to meet "green" energy mandates.

  • Warrantless Surveillance

    Bars the use of funds in the bill from being used to conduct warrantless searches of Americans' digital communications that have crossed the U.S. border.

  • Aid to Syria

    Prohibits the use of funds in the bill for the Syria Train and Equip Program.

  • Continuing Appropriations

    Provides funding for federal government operations at the fiscal year 2016 level through April 28, 2017 at an annualized "discretionary" rate of $1.07 trillion.

Scorecard 113-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 113th Congress (January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

  • UN Arms Trade Treaty

    Sen. Inhofe offered an amendment to "uphold Second Amendment rights and prevent the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty."

  • "Assault Weapons" Ban

    Sen. Feinstein offered an amendment that would ban the future manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of certain semi-automatic firearms.

  • Continuing Resolution

    Continues funding government operations, including ObamaCare.

  • Ukraine Aid

    Provides $150 million for direct aid to Ukraine.

  • Gas Tax

    Transfers local transportation infrastructure projects to the states.

  • Executive Action on Immigration

    Senator Cruz raised a constitutional point of order that the bill violates the Constitution's separation of powers because the bill would fund President Obama's executive action on amnesty.

House Votes

  • Short-term Debt Limit Increase

    Would suspend the public debt limit through May 18, 2013 and, in effect, allow the Treasury Department to borrow as much as it needs in order to pay its bills over the next four months.

  • Keystone XL Pipeline

    Declares that "no Presidential permit shall be required for the pipeline described in the application filed on May 4, 2012, by TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P."

  • Ukraine Aid

    Provides $150 million for direct aid to Ukraine.

  • Surveillance

    Prevents defense funds from being used to allow U.S. intelligence agencies to sift through electronic metadata that contains the personal information of U.S. citizens.

  • Militarizing Local Police

    Prohibited any funding in the bill from being used to transfer excess military equipment for police.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Provides $1.013 trillion in discretionary appropriations in fiscal 2015 for federal departments and agencies.

Scorecard 112-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 112th Congress (January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

House Votes

  • Patriot Act Extension

    Extended for four years three provisions of the Patriot Act that were set to expire.

  • South Korea Trade Agreement

    Both the House and Senate approved three separate trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    This catch-all legislative package (H.R. 2055), which would provide $915 billion in discretionary appropriations for fiscal 2012.

  • Oil and Gas Development; Keystone XL Pipeline

    Would open up part of Alaska's resource-rich Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development.

  • Immigration Enforcement

    Rep. King introduced an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce Immigration and Customs Enforcement memos.

  • Federal Reserve Audit

    Requires a full audit of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System by the comptroller general of the United States.

Scorecard 111-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 111th Congress (January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

  • Abortion

    Offered an amendment to prohibit the use of any funding authorized by the bill to pay for abortions or for health plans that cover abortions, except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the mother.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    Comprised of six appropriations bills that Congress failed to complete separately. The price tag in the final version of HR3288 is $1.1 trillion.

  • ObamaCare

    Popularly known as "ObamaCare," this bill essentially completed the government takeover of the American healthcare system.

  • Audit the Fed

    Amendment to audit the Federal Reserve.

  • Greenhouse Gas Regulation

    Would disapprove an Environmental Protection Agency endangerment finding that greenhouse gases may be regulated as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

  • Arizona Immigration Law

    Offered a measure to recommit the bill to the Judiciary Committee with instructions to include language that no funds in any provision of law may be used to participate in a lawsuit against Arizona's immigration law.

House Votes

  • Budget Resolution

    The final version of the Fiscal 2010 Budget Resolution (SCR13) calls for $3.56 trillion in federal spending for the fiscal year.

  • Body Image Screening

    Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) offered an amendment that would prohibit the use of Whole-Body Imaging as the primary method of screening at airports.

  • Cap and Trade

    Would not merely "cap" carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" gas emissions, ostensibly to fight global warming, but would reduce the amount of allowable emissions over time.

  • Omnibus Appropriations

    This legislation is comprised of six appropriations bills that Congress failed to complete separately. The price tag in the final version of H.R. 3288 is about $1.1 trillion.

  • Withdrawing U.S. Soldiers From Afghanistan

    Would direct the President to remove the U.S. Armed Forces from Afghanistan within 30 days of enactment, or by the end of the year.

  • ObamaCare

    Popularly known as "ObamaCare," this bill essentially completed the government takeover of the American healthcare system.

Scorecard 110-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 110th Congress (January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

  • Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

    Would drastically alter the scope of the immigration bill by striking an amnesty provision from the bill that would establish the Z visa.

  • Debt Limit Increase

    Would increase the national debt limit to an astronomical $9.8 trillion, an $850 billion increase.

  • Peru Free Trade Agreement

    Transfers the power to regulate trade (and other powers as well) to regional arrangements.

  • Global Warming

    Would have created a cap-and-trade system for reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

  • Farm Bill (Veto Override)

    Would authorize the nation's farm programs for the next five years, including crop subsidies and nutrition programs.

  • Bailout Bill

    Authorizes the Treasury Department to use $700 billion of taxpayer money to purchase troubled mortgage-related securities from banks and other financial-related institutions.

House Votes

  • Iraq Troop Withdrawal

    The bill would require the withdrawal of troops and contractors to begin within 90 days of the bill's enactment, and to be completed within 180 days from the beginning date of the withdrawal.

  • Global Climate Change

    Strikes from the bill nonbinding language calling for a mandatory program to combat global warming.

  • Peru Free Trade Agreement

    Transfers the power to regulate trade (and other powers as well) to regional arrangements.

  • Economic Stimulus

    Would provide about $150 billion in economic stimulus, including $101.1 billion in direct payments of rebate checks (typically $600) to most taxpayers in 2008.

  • Budget Resolution

    Drafted by the Democrats, this $3.03 trillion budget sets nonbinding limits for the 12 annual appropriations bills.

  • Bailout Bill

    Authorizes the Treasury Department to use $700 billion of taxpayer money to purchase troubled mortgage-related securities from banks and other financial-related institutions.

Scorecard 109-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 109th Congress (January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

  • Abortion

    To repeal the rule prohibiting U.S. foreign aid from going to organizations that provide or promote abortions.

  • Patriot Act Reauthorization

    Would reauthorize the unconstitutional and so-called Patriot Act.

  • National Debt Limit

    Would increase the national debt limit to $8.97 trillion.

  • Guest-worker/Amnesty Immigration "Reform"

    Would effectively grant amnesty to the 12 million illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States and create a guest-worker program for up to 200,000 immigrants a year.

  • Iraq Troop Withdrawal

    Would require a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by July 2007.

  • Firearm Seizure

    Would prohibit any Homeland Security funds from being used to seize lawfully owned firearms during a state of emergency.

House Votes

  • Embryonic Stem-Cell Research

    Would allow federal funds to be used for research on embryonic stem-cell lines, which can be created only by destroying human embryos (i.e., innocent human life).

  • WTO Withdrawal

    To withdraw the U.S. from the World Trade Organization (WTO).

  • U.S. Treasury Borrowing

    To "eliminate the ability of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board to borrow from the Treasury."

  • Border Security

    Would authorize 700 miles of security fence to be built on the U.S.-Mexican border and make unlawful entry into the United States a criminal offense.

  • Gun Seizure

    Would prohibit the confiscation of firearms in the wake of a natural disaster.

  • Electronic Surveillance

    Would allow electronic surveillance of communications with suspected terrorists without first obtaining approval from the secret FISA Court.

Scorecard 108-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 108th Congress (January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

  • Moscow Treaty

    Would require both the United States and Russia to reduce their respective nuclear stockpiles to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads by 2012.

  • Roe v. Wade Support

    Declares that the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade secures an "important constitutional right" and "should not be overturned."

  • Data Mining

    Would require each federal agency or department engaged in data mining to submit a public report to Congress.

  • Prescription Drug Benefit

    Would create a prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients.

  • Assault Weapons Ban

    Would provide for a 10-year reauthorization of the so-called assault weapons ban.

  • Fiscal 2005 Budget Resolution

    Would establish broad spending and revenue targets over the next five years, for a total budget of $2.4 trillion.

House Votes

Scorecard 107-1

The following scorecard lists several key votes in the 107th Congress (January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003) and ranks congressmen based on their fidelity to constitutional and limited-government principles.

Senate Votes

House Votes

  • Anti-Terrorism Authority

    Would create the "USA Patriot Act," giving law enforcement and intelligence agencies vast new powers to combat terrorism.

  • Education

    Would, as the "No Child Left Behind Act," overhaul education proposals to increase school accountability and reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for six years.

  • Illegal Aliens

    Would allow certain illegal immigrants to remain in this country while applying for legal residency.

  • Debt Limit

    Would increase the public debt limit by $450 billion for a new ceiling of $6.4 trillion.

  • Partial-Birth Abortion Ban

    Would ban one type of abortion, known as partial-birth abortion.

  • War Authorization Against Iraq

    Authorizes the use of U.S. military force against Iraq, including to enforce any related UN Security Council resolutions.

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