2021 Congressional Ratings

Since 1989, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) has examined roll call votes to help identify which members of Congress have defended taxpayer interests and which have backed away from their promises of fiscal responsibility. The Congressional Ratings separate the praiseworthy from the profligate by evaluating important tax, spending, transparency, and accountability measures. CCAGW applauds those members of Congress who stand up for taxpayers and ignore the temptation of satisfying local and special interests. However, those who support a big-government agenda should be prepared to face the consequences of their spendthrift behavior.

CCAGW’s 2021 Congressional Ratings, for the first session of the 117th Congress, score 25 votes in the House of Representatives and 41 in the Senate. By comparison, CCAGW rated 35 votes in the House of Representatives and 10 in the Senate in the second session of the 116th Congress. /p>

CCAGW rates members on a 0-100 percent scale. Members are placed in the following categories: 0-19 percent, Hostile; 20-39 percent, Unfriendly; 40-59 percent, Lukewarm; 60-79 percent, Friendly; 80-99 percent, Taxpayer Hero; and 100 percent, Taxpayer Super Hero.

House and Senate Breakdown

For 2021, 18 senators and 142 representatives earned the coveted title of Taxpayer Super Hero by achieving the highest possible score of 100 percent. In 2020, 16 senators and 80 representatives received a perfect score.

For 2021, there are 32 Taxpayer Heroes in the Senate and 60 in the House of Representatives. In 2020, there were 33 Taxpayer Heroes in the Senate and 105 in the House.

At the other end of the spectrum in 2021, 36 senators and 198 representatives have a score of zero. In 2020, nine senators and 176 representatives had a score of zero.

Further Analysis

CCAGW also analyzed ratings based on party affiliation.

The averages were: Senate Republicans – 96 percent, up six percentage points from 90 percent in 2020; Senate Democrats, including Independents – 2 percent, down seven percentage points from 9 percent in 2020; House Republicans – 96 percent, up four percentage points from 92 percent in 2020; House Democrats – 1 percent, down one percentage point from 2 percent in 2020.

CCAGW congratulates the members who stood by taxpayers and championed fiscal responsibility throughout the first session of the 117th Congress and encourages the constituents of non-Taxpayer Heroes to demand better results from their elected officials.