A Congressional
Report Card for the 99%
gilli
CO-AUTHORS
Sarah Anderson
Chuck Collins
Scott Klinger
Sam Pizzigati
RESEARCHER
Brent Soloway
Release date:
October 3, 2012
About the Authors
Sarah Anderson directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and
has co-authored the 19 IPS annual “Executive Excess” reports on the divide between CEO
and worker pay.
Chuck Collins, an Institute for Policy Studies senior scholar, directs the IPS Program on
Inequality and the Common Good. He is the author of 99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality Is
Wrecking the World and What We Can Do about It (Berrett-Koehler Publishers).
Scott Klinger, an Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow, crafted the first shareholder
proposals on executive pay while working as a social investment portfolio manager. He has
also written extensively on corporate tax avoidance. Scott is a CFA charterholder.
Sam Pizzigati, an IPS associate fellow, is the author of the upcoming The Rich Don’t Always
Win: The triumph over plutocracy that created the American middle class (Seven Stories Press). He
also edits Too Much, an online weekly newsletter on excess and inequality and writes a
weekly column distributed by the OtherWords editorial service.
The Institute for Policy Studies (IPS-DC.org) is a community of public
scholars and organizers linking peace, justice, and the environment in the United
States and globally. We work with social movements to promote true democracy
and challenge concentrated wealth, corporate influence, and military power.
© 2012 Institute for Policy Studies
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Email: [email protected]
Table of Contents
Key Findings…………………………………………………………………………… 1
Overview………………………………..………………………………………………
2
About Our Inequality Report Card………………………………………………….… 3
The Dishonor Roll: The Most 1% Friendly Members of Congress ………………… 4
Overall
Democrats
Box: Investing in Inequality: Who Funds the „Failing 48‟?
The Honor Roll: The Most 99% Friendly Members of Congress …………………… 8
Democrats
Republicans
Box: How the Wealthiest Members of Congress Rate
Appendix 1: Inequality-related actions taken in the 112th Congress ….………………...... 11
Appendix 2: Member of Congress grades and state delegation inequality GPAs
in the 212th Congress (2011-2012)………………………………..………………....…... 17
Appendix 3: State delegation grades compared to state poverty and
economic inequality (Gini coefficient) rankings…………………………………………. 25
Appendix 4: Methodology and sources .……………………………...…………………. 27
Key Findings
In preparing this inequality report card, we examined 24 legislative actions in the U.S. House
of Representatives and 16 in the U.S. Senate, actions that touched everything from taxes and
budget priorities to education and housing. Among the data highlights:

Republicans dominate the report card‟s “dishonor roll.” They make up the entire list
of the 48 representatives and 11 senators with an “F” grade.

Not all Democrats distinguish themselves as champions of greater equality.
Seventeen lawmakers who caucus with the Democrats rate only at the “C” level.

Arkansas had the worst grade point average among the members of their
congressionaldelegation, earning a GPA of only 0.7 out of a possible 4.0.

The most “99%” friendly state: Vermont. The Green Mountain state‟s two senators
and one House member brought home straight “A”s for a 4.0 GPA.

Of the 10 states with the nation‟s most uneven distribution of income, according to
just-released Census data, only one — Massachusetts — has senators and
representatives with a composite average “A” level score

None of the 11 senators earning an “F” grade come from any of the nation‟s five
most equal states, as rated by the new Census figures. Of the 48 members of the
House of Representatives with failing grades, only one — Republican Jason Chaffetz
of Utah — comes from one of the nation‟s five most equal states.

The 10 wealthiest Democrats in Congress all have generally “99% friendly”
legislative records. None have lower than a “B” for their work the last two years.
None of the 10 richest Republicans in Congress, by contrast, rate higher than a “C-”
grade, a rating that marks them as distinctly “1% friendly.”

Within each chamber of Congress, Republicans orient themselves much closer to a
strong “1% friendly” agenda than Democrats orient themselves to a strong “99%
friendly” agenda.
1
Overview
A
year ago, thousands of Americans concerned about our nation‟s deep and
growing concentration of income and wealth “occupied” Wall Street — and public
squares in communities all across the nation. In a matter of weeks, America had a
vivid new framework for discussing and debating how and why the United States had
become the most unequal major developed nation on the face of the earth.
One year later, this new frame — the “1%” and the “99%” — remains as relevant as ever.
Indeed, the Census Bureau reported earlier this month that America‟s top 1 percent of
households saw their incomes rise about 6 percent in 2011, a year when the vast majority of
the nation‟s households saw their real incomes shrink.
Our growing economic divide in America did not just “happen.” No natural disasters or
unavoidable dips in the business cycle have created our contemporary top-heavy America.
We have become a fundamentally more unequal nation over recent decades largely because
those who write the economy‟s rules have rigged those rules — to ensure that wealth and
income flow to the top, at the expense of everyone else.
Congress — more than any other institution in American life — has responsibility for the
rules that determine how our economy operates. Our lawmakers define tax and trade policy.
They decide who gains and who loses when budget dollars get spent. They approve and
disapprove the regulations that shape every aspect of our marketplaces.
Members of Congress, in other words, have the capacity to make sure that all Americans,
not just a privileged few, share in the wealth that we all together create.
How well are current members of Congress exercising their considerable power? We have
compiled this first annual “inequality report card” to answer that question.
We‟ve identified a series of telling legislative actions taken over the past two years that relate
to inequality. Some of these actions sought to enhance the life chances of our 99 percent.
Others aimed to feather the nest of America‟s most affluent 1 percent.
Those members of Congress who serve this 1 percent are failing America. In this report
card, we have given these most reliable friends of the fortunate a grade of “F.”
Those members of Congress who have resisted the entreaties of our wealthy — and who
have shown themselves consistently sensitive to the well-being of everyone else — have
earned an “A” grade in this scorecard.
How many members of Congress are failing? Far too many. Our inequality report card gives
an “F” to 48 lawmakers in the House — our “Failing Forty-Eight” — and eleven more in
the United States Senate.
But our new report card also finds reason for optimism as well. We draw hope for the future
from the many creative ideas for restoring fairness now percolating on Capitol Hill. These
new ideas — many highlighted in our inequality scorecard — challenge the political line we
hear looping endlessly from apologists for our staggeringly unequal status quo, the oftenasserted notion that austerity stands as our only viable option.
This new inequality report card offers America‟s voters a new lens for scoping out the
handiwork of the lawmakers who represent us. Our hope: that Americans come to see the
2
actions lawmakers take on our economic divide as a critically important indicator of our
future well-being.
With a Congress full of lawmakers who rate a solid “A” grade on issues around the
distribution of income and wealth, we all stand a better chance of winning.
About Our Inequality Report Card
In preparing this inequality report card, we‟ve examined 24 legislative actions in the U.S.
House of Representatives and 16 in the U.S. Senate. We‟ve looked at a range of issues,
everything from taxes and budget priorities to support for affordable education and
protecting America‟s family homes.
Some bills that we grade lawmakers on in this report card — like the House and Senate
votes on extending the Bush tax cuts for wealthy Americans — will be familiar to many
voters. But we also examine legislative initiatives that have gone largely unnoticed, yet still
significantly impact our growing economic divide.
One factor complicates the individual lawmaker focus we aim to provide with this new
inequality report card. Congress today typically votes in lockstep party blocs. To avoid a
report card that simply gives almost all Republicans one grade and almost all Democrats
another, we‟ve graded members of Congress on more than just recorded votes on bills.
We have taken into account legislative actions — the introduction and co-sponsorship of
bills — that reflect more individual lawmaker initiative. This broader focus, we believe, can
help us ascertain both the true champions of a more equitable society and those most
dedicated to the care and feeding of our plutocracy.
We base this report card‟s letter grades, from “A+” to “F,” on point scores. For each
recorded vote, we give one point for supporting the “99%” and greater economic equality
and take away one point for actions that cheer the “1%” and deepen inequality.
For bills introduced but not yet voted upon, we grant a full point to the bill‟s chief sponsor
and half-points to legislators who sign on as co-sponsors. We assign positive points, on these
actions, for bills that reduce inequality, negative points for introducing or co-sponsoring bills
that exacerbate inequality. We include only bills that have at least five co-sponsors in the
Senate and 20 co-sponsors in the House. (For a more detailed explanation of our grading
system, see Appendix 5)
Based on these point totals and resulting grades, our Institute for Policy Studies report card
identifies the “Most 1% Friendly” and “Most 99% Friendly” members of Congress overall,
as well as the “Most 1% Friendly” Republicans and Democrats and the “Most 99%
Friendly” Republicans and Democrats.
To ensure that lawmakers who fail to vote on particular bills do not skew our results, we
have excluded from our final grade tallies any member of Congress who missed more than
one recorded vote on an issue area we cover. This approach led us to exclude two senators
and 25 representatives from our rankings.
3
The Dishonor Roll:
The Most 1% Friendly Members of Congress
OVERALL RANKINGS
SENATE
These 11 senators rate an “F” for their legislative activity over the past two years.
Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)
F
Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
F
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)
F
Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
F
Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY)
F
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
F
Senator Dean Heller (R-NV)
F
Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
F
Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE)
F
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
F
Senator John Thune (R-SD)
F
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
These 48 members of the U.S. House of Representatives rate an “F” for their
legislative activity over the past two years.
Rep. Sandy Adams (R-FL-24)
F
Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI-1)
F
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7)
F
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX-8)
F
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL-5)
F
Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8)
F
Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY-25)
F
Rep. John Campbell (R-CA-48)
F
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT-3)
F
Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-4)
F
Rep. Michael Conaway (R-TX-11)
F
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR-1)
F
Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA-19)
F
4
Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC-2)
F
Rep. John Fleming (R-LA-4)
F
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ-11)
F
Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-18)
F
Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX-12)
F
Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR-2)
F
Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD-1)
F
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4)
F
Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-NY-19)
F
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-4)
F
Rep. James Lankford (R-OK-5)
F
Rep. Robert Latta (R-OH-5)
F
Rep. Billy Long (R-MO-7)
F
Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA-5)
F
Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC-9)
F
Rep. Rich Nugent (R-FL-5)
F
Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-MS-1)
F
Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX-22)
F
Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS-4)
F
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN-6)
F
Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA-16)
F
Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS-4)
F
Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL-15)
F
Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL- 2)
F
Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-1)
F
Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN-4)
F
Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL-12)
F
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA-1)
F
Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA-8)
F
Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC-1)
F
Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE-2)
F
Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO-3)
F
Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR-3)
F
Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS-3)
F
Rep. Todd Young (R-IN-9)
F
5
THE MOST 1% FRIENDLY DEMOCRATS
SENATE
Within the Senate Democratic Caucus, these 6 senators did the least to narrow
America‟s economic divide over the past two years.*
Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)
C
Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)**
C
Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)
C
Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
C
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)
C
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA)
C
*Note: In his role as majority leader, Senator Harry Reid has twice voted “procedurally” on bills. He essentially
voted on the opposite side of his actual position to preserve his side‟s parliamentary right to reconsider a failed
bill at a later point. We did not count these procedural votes as support for positions Reid opposes.
**Senator Lieberman, an Independent, caucuses with the Democrats.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Within the House Democratic Caucus, these 11 members did the least to narrow
America‟s economic divide over the past two years.
Rep. John Barrow (D-GA-12)
C+
Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK-2)
C+
Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY-6)
C+
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28)
C+
#
Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN-2)
C+
Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC-8)
C+
Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT-2)
C+
Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC-7) #
C+
Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY-23)
C+
Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR-4)
C+
Rep. Timothy Walz (D-MN-1)
C+
#
Representatives Donnelly and McIntyre each missed one recorded vote on the legislative actions on our list.
6
Investing in Inequality: Who Funds the „Failing 48‟?
Who are the 48 House lawmakers receiving “Fs” on their Inequality Report Cards really
working for? One place to look for an answer: their campaign bank accounts.
Two corporate giants, ExxonMobil and Koch Industries, have both aggressively funded the
“Failing 48.” In the current election cycle, ExxonMobil has contributed to 35 of the 48
candidates who earned “Fs.” Koch Industries invested in 27 of the 48 candidates.
Two other leading contributors to the Failing 48: Goldman Sachs, with contributions to 19
of the 48, and technology and defense contractor Honeywell, with eight.
.
Koch’s largest investment in
the Failing 48, $89,000, went
to Rep. Mike Pompeo, a
Republican from Kansas.
Reps. Nan Hayworth of New
York and Tim Scott of South
Carolina were the only two of
our Failing 48 to receive
contributions from all four
leading investors in
inequality.
ExxonMobil made a $10,000
investment in Rep. Dan
Benishek from Michigan, its
largest investment in
inequality.
Hayworth, the lead sponsor
of a bill to repeal the DoddFrank provision that requires
corporations to disclose their
CEO-median worker pay
ratio, received $17,999 from
Honeywell, that corporation’s
largest gift.
7
The Honor Roll:
The Most 99% Friendly Members of Congress
DEMOCRATS
SENATE
These five members of the Senate Democratic Caucus did the most to narrow
America‟s economic divide over the past two years.
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
A+
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
A+
Senator Al Franken (D-MN)
A+
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)*
A+
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
A+
*Senator Sanders, an Independent, caucuses with the Democrats.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
These 14 members of the House Democratic Caucus did the most to narrow
America‟s economic divide over the past two years.
Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA-1)
A+
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY-11)
A+
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9)
A+
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI-14)
A+
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11)
A+
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-7)
A+
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30)
A+
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA-4)
A+
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-10)
A+
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-9)
A+
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA-7)
A+
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9)
A+
Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA-13)
A+
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA-6)
A+
8
REPUBLICANS
SENATE
Within the Senate Republican Caucus, these three senators did the most to narrow
America‟s economic divide over the past two years.
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
C
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
C
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
C
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Within the House Republican Caucus, these nine members did the most to narrow
America‟s economic divide over the past two years.
Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI-3)
C+
Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA-8)
C+
Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY-28)
C+
Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY-13)
C+
Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC-3)
C+
Rep. Timothy Johnson (R-IL-15)
C+
Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID-1)
C+
Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH-14)
C+
Rep. David McKinley (R-WV-1)
C+
The Brady Bunch
Two of the most and least “1% friendly”
members of Congress just happen to be
Bradys. Pennsylvania's Bob Brady earned a
grade of “A+” on our inequality report card.
Kevin Brady of Texas, on the other hand,
received the single worst score among all
members of the House.
Kevin Brady owes his place on the “1%”
Kevin Brady
Bob Brady
dishonor roll to his lead sponsorship of a bill to
repeal the federal estate tax, a measure that
dramatically shifts taxes from the wealthiest 1 percent to everyone else. The Texan has
also been a lead sponsor of legislation that would grant a tax holiday to corporations that
use tax havens to dodge their U.S. taxes.
9
How the Wealthiest Members of Congress Rate
The annual salary of members of Congress, $174,000, is more than triple America‟s median
household income. Lawmaker average net worth, $878,500, runs nearly nine times America‟s
median family wealth, according to a recent study by the Center for Responsive Politics.
How do the wealthiest members of Congress perform on inequality-related legislation? We
looked at the ten wealthiest lawmakers from each major party.
Member of Congress
Wealth
Inequality Voting Grade
Ten Wealthiest Democrats
Senator John Kerry
$199 million
B
Senator Mark Warner
$86 million
B
Senator Jay Rockefeller
$83 million
A-
Senator Richard Blumenthal
$79 million
A
Rep. Jared Polis
$72 million
B
Senator Frank Lautenberg
$57 million
A
Senator Dianne Feinstein
$42 million
A-
Rep. Chellie Pingree
$29 million
A
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
$26 million
B
Senator Claire McCaskill
$16 million
B
Rep. Michael McCaul
$305 million
C-
Rep. Darrell Issa
$141 million
D
Rep. Jim Renacci
$37 million
D-
Rep. Vern Buchanan
$36 million
D
Rep. Diane Black
$25 million
C-
Rep. Rick Berg
$24 million
D-
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen
$22 million
F
Senator Bob Corker
$20 million
C-
Senator James Risch
$19 million
D
Rep. Gary Miller
$17 million
D
Ten Wealthiest Republicans
10
Appendix 1: Inequality-related actions
taken in the 112th Congress
This report card is based on the following 40 congressional actions, which stand out as
having tremendous impact (or potential impact) on economic inequality in America. We look
at bills concerning taxes, federal budget expenditures, jobs and wages, education, health care,
and poverty. For each action, we indicate which position supports greater inequality and
which support reducing inequality in the United States.
Symbols:
vote or co-sponsorship supports greater inequality: ↑INEQUALITY↑
vote or co-sponsorship supports reduced inequality: ↓INEQUALITY↓
TAX POLICY
Support for declaring a corporate tax
holiday on foreign income
(co-sponsorship, Foreign Earnings
Reinvestment Act, S 1671; Freedom to
Invest Act, HR 1834)
Bush tax cuts
(HR 8, S 3412)
Few issues have had greater impact on the
growing economic divide than the 2001
and 2003 Bush tax cuts. In 2012, the
Senate passed legislation that caps tax
breaks at each taxpayer‟s first $250,000 of
income. The House, meanwhile, passed a
bill that extends unlimited Bush tax cuts
for all taxpayers.
These bills would allow corporations that
have used offshore tax havens to avoid
taxes on U.S. profits to return those funds
to the United States and pay little or
nothing in taxes. Revenues from U.S.
corporate income taxes currently stand at
a 50-year low, even as corporate profits
are peaking at a 50-year high. The Senate
bill has 11 co-sponsors, the House bill
109.
Senate NO, House YES = ↑INEQUALITY↑
Buffett Rule
(Paying a Fair Share Act, S 2230, HR
3903)
Co-sponsorship = ↑INEQUALITY↑
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has
been outspoken in opposing tax policies
that leave him with a lower federal tax rate
than his secretary. The Paying a Fair Share
Act, designed to establish a minimum tax
rate for upper-income Americans, failed
to survive a Republican-led filibuster in
the Senate. The bill‟s House version has
72 co-sponsors.
Ending abuse of offshore tax havens
(Doggett Amendment to Transportation
Bill Conference Report, attaching “special
measures” provision of Stop Tax Haven
Abuse Act; co-sponsorship, Stop Tax
Haven Abuse Act, S 1346)
Tax haven abuse by wealthy individuals
and enormously profitable corporations
costs the U.S. Treasury $150 billion per
year. The Doggett Amendment would
provide the U.S. Treasury with “special
measures” to go after banks and other
Senate NO = ↑INEQUALITY↑
House co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
11
financial institutions that aid these
transactions. The Stop Tax Haven Abuse
Act would undertake a range of actions,
including the special measures mentioned
above, in closing tax haven loopholes. The
legislation has seven Senate co-sponsors.
Permanently eliminating the federal
estate tax
(co-sponsorship, Death Tax Repeal
Permanency Act, HR 1259 and S 2242)
The century-old estate tax has historically
helped limit the concentration of wealth in
America. Less than 1 percent of
Americans currently have enough wealth
to have an estate tax liability at death.
These bills would eliminate the estate tax
and relax the related federal gift tax. The
House bill has 220 co-sponsors; the
Senate version has 37 co-sponsors.
NO on Doggett Amend. = ↑INEQUALITY↑
Co-sponsorship of Stop Tax Haven
Abuse Act = ↓INEQUALITY↓
Eliminating the ability of corporations
to register intellectual property abroad
for the purpose of avoiding U.S. taxes
(co-sponsorship, Offshoring Prevention
Act, S 45)
Co-sponsorship = ↑INEQUALITY↑
Taxing Wall Street speculation to fund
job creation
(Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full
Employment and Training Act, cosponsorship of HR 4277)
This bill would alter the method for
determining the income of foreign
controlled corporations by including
“imported property income” — and
reduce the ability of U.S. corporations to
avoid their taxes. The legislation has eight
co-sponsors in the Senate.
This bill would tax stock and bond trades
on Wall Street to finance a fund to create
jobs in affordable housing, energy
conservation, infrastructure repair,
education, and human services. This
legislation has 59 co-sponsors.
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
Eliminating tax subsidies for oil
companies
(Repeal Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act, S 2204)
BUDGET PRIORITIES
This bill would end many of the billiondollar subsidies for America‟s most
profitable industry.
Budget legislation that slashes social
programs that help working families,
while cutting taxes for the most
prosperous individuals and most
powerful corporations (Paul Ryan FY
2013 Budget, H Con Res 34, Senate Vote)
A NO vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
Using small business tax relief as a
pretext for cutting the tax bills of
America‟s wealthiest
(Small Business Tax Cut Act, HR 9)
The Ryan budget cuts programs that
benefit the 99 percent to offset bountiful
tax cuts for the 1 percent. The Ryan
budget passed the House, but was
defeated in the Senate.
This bill purports to cut small business
taxes. The legislation provides its greatest
tax relief to America‟s wealthiest families.
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
12
Budget legislation that invests in
America and protects social programs
by reducing military spending and
raising taxes on the wealthy and
speculative investments
(The Peoples Budget Amendment to H
Con Res 112)
inflation. The legislation has 113 House
co-sponsors and 16 in the Senate.
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
Fund $50 billion infrastructure
rebuilding effort
(American Jobs Act, S 1660, cosponsorship of HR 12)
This bill, offered as a substitute
amendment to the Ryan budget above,
would eliminate tax cuts for the wealthiest
Americans and subsidies and loopholes
for profitable corporations, while
preserving and extending programs for
working families.
This bill would create a $50 billion fund to
invest in American infrastructure,
strengthen Buy America provisions in
federal procurement rules, and establish
incentives to encourage lending to small
businesses.
A NO vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
A NO vote on the Senate bill =
↑INEQUALITY↑
Preserving military spending by
cutting food stamps and other
programs serving poor Americans
(Sequester Replacement Reconciliation
Act, HR 5652)
Co-sponsorship of the House bill =
↓INEQUALITY↓
Using job creation as excuse for
weakening SEC‟s ability to reduce
fraud
(Jumpstart Our Businesses Start-Up Act,
HR 3606; Senate vote)
This bill seeks to change the Sequestration
Agreement Congress passed in 2010 to
address the impasse over the federal debt
ceiling. Under that agreement, social
programs and military spending would be
equally cut if Congress failed to agree on
spending cuts that meet deficit targets
before the end of the current Congress.
This bill would eliminate mandatory cuts
to defense spending and replace them
with even more draconian cuts to social
programs, including food stamps.
This bill uses the promise of job creation
as a foil for weakening investor protection
against fraud. The legislation reduces the
power of the SEC and erodes protections
provided by the Dodd-Frank and
Sarbanes-Oxley reforms.
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑.
Protect prevailing community wages
(Amendment to Eliminate Prevailing
Wage Provisions of Davis-Bacon Act,
King Amendment 273 to HR 1)
JOBS/WAGES
Increase the minimum wage and
index future increases to inflation
(co-sponsorship, Fair Minimum Wage
Act, HR 6211, S 3453)
Since 1931, the Davis-Bacon Act has
required that prevailing community wages
be paid for public works jobs. Tax dollars
should not be used to erode wage levels.
This bill would increase the minimum
wage to $9.80 an hour over two years,
then index the minimum wage to
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
13
Requiring federally funded water
infrastructure project to use Americanmade products
(co-sponsorship, Keep American Jobs
from Going Down the Drain Act, HR
1684)
Reducing the ability of the National
Labor Relations Board to protect
unionized workers
(Protecting Jobs from Government
Interference Act, HR 2587)
This bill, also known as the “Boeing bill”
and the “Outsourcers Bill of Rights,”
would bar the NLRB from intervening in
all matters pertaining to plant closings and
employee transfer and relocation. The bill
undermines workers‟ rights and impedes
the duty of the NLRB to assure that
workers are treated fairly.
This bill would require that materials used
in federally funded water and sewer
programs originate in the United States.
This legislation has 38 cosponsors.
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
Prevent wage discrimination against
women
(Paycheck Fairness Act, S 3220; cosponsorship of House version, HR 1519)
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
Stripping the National Labor
Relations Board of power to protect
workers right to organize
(Senate resolution disapproving of
National Labor Relations Board rule
allowing for expedited union formation, S
J Res 36)
This bill addresses the lingering wage
disparity between men and women
performing the same jobs. It amends
existing law to allow workers to freely
share salary information with one another
and to prohibit retaliation against workers
raising gender-based pay concerns. The
legislation has 196 co-sponsors in the
House.
This bill expresses the sense of the Senate
about a new National Labor Relations
Rule seeking to update and modernize
union elections. The United States has the
weakest labor protections of any
developed nation.
A NO vote on Senate bill =
↑INEQUALITY↑
Co-sponsorship of House bill =
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
↓INEQUALITY↓
Removing protection of overtime and
minimum wage laws for skilled
workers in technology industries
(co-sponsorship, Computer Professionals
Update Act, S 1747)
Protecting U.S. call center employees
from having their jobs shipped
offshore
(co-sponsorship, Call Center Worker and
Consumer Protection Act, HR 3596)
This bill would grant a blanket exemption
from overtime and minimum wage
requirements for skilled workers in tech
industry. Many hourly tech workers face
deadlines that necessitate overtime work.
This bill would strip them of their right to
be paid time and a half. This bill has eight
co-sponsors.
This bill would require firms moving call
center jobs overseas to notify the U.S.
Department of Labor. Companies that
have engaged in moving jobs offshore
would not be eligible for federal
government grants or loans for five years
after offshoring call center jobs. The
legislation has 138 co-sponsors.
Co-sponsorship = ↑INEQUALITY↑
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
14
AFFORDABLE EDUCATION
Blocking accountability of for-profit
universities that trap students into
high-debt futures without the prospect
of a job after graduating
(Kline Amendment to House Budget
Resolution, HR 1)
Paying for reductions in student loan
interest rates by cutting health care
services of low-income Americans
(Interest Rate Reduction Act, HR 4628)
Supporters of this bill pay for benefits to
one group of working Americans with
cuts to another vulnerable group, in this
case low-income Americans who depend
on public health programs.
Students at for-profit universities make up
the vast majority of Americans with
delinquent college loans. For-profit
schools often saddle students with debt
without providing many prospects for a
decent job after graduation. The
Department of Education put forth rules
to limit access to federal college loans for
schools with poor job placement records
and high levels of student loan default.
This amendment would block that rule
from being implemented.
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
Protecting financial aid for low- and
moderate-income college students
from cuts to balance federal budget
(co-sponsorship, Senate resolution
expressing sense of the Senate that Pell
Grants should not be cut to balance the
budget, S Res 274)
A YES vote = ↑INEQUALITY↑
This sense of the Senate resolution
expresses support for Pell grants, a vital
program for low- and moderate-income
college students. This bill has 11 cosponsors.
KEEPING FAMILIES
IN THEIR HOMES
Helping families take advantage of
federal loan modification programs
(co-sponsorship, Homeowner Advocate
Act, S 690)
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
This bill would require the Department of
Treasury to establish a program to help
homeowners take advantage of federal
mortgage modifications. This bill has 14
co-sponsors.
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
15
Protecting tenant rights when a rented
home gets foreclosed
(co-sponsorship of Tenant Foreclosure
Prevention Act, HR 3619)
Providing funding for and creating
incentives for low income families to
invest in their communities
(co-sponsorship, Assets for Independence
Reauthorization Act, HR 1623)
Temporary legislation has kept thousands
of families in their homes who otherwise
might have faced eviction. This bill would
make that law permanent. The legislation
has 24 co-sponsors.
This bill provides funding for asset
development projects in low-income
communities. The bill has 40 co-sponsors.
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
REDUCING POVERTY
Universal affordable health care
coverage
(co-sponsorship of Expanded and
Improved Medicare for All, HR 676)
Developing a national plan for
dropping poverty by half within ten
years
(co-sponsorship, Half in Ten Act, HR
3300)
This bill would establish a single-payer
national health insurance program
covering every American, funded in part
through a small tax on stock and bond
trades. The bill has 76 co-sponsors.
This bill directs the Department of Health
and Human Services to develop a plan for
cutting poverty in half within ten years.
The legislation has 68 co-sponsors.
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
Co-sponsorship = ↓INEQUALITY↓
The Politics of Inequality, an OtherWords cartoon by Khalil Bendib. OtherWords.org
16
Appendix 2: Member of Congress grades and state
delegation inequality GPAs in the 212th Congress
(2011-2012)
Legend: Republicans are listed in italics. For each state, U.S. Senators are listed first, followed by
House of Representatives members with their district number next to their name. AL = at-large
members representing the entire state. INC = Incomplete, indicating the legislator missed 2 or
more recorded votes. More details on scoring system can be found in Appendix 5. A table listing
each legislator‟s voting record and their numerical scores can be found at: http://www.ipsdc.org/reports/inequality-report-card/
ALABAMA D
GPA
Sen. Jeff Sessions
Sen. Richard Shelby
Jo Bonner
Martha Roby
Mike Rogers
Robert Aderholt
Mo Brooks
Spencer Bachus
Terri Sewell
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
ALASKA
GPA
C+
Sen. Mark Begich
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
AL
ARIZONA C
GPA
Sen. Jon Kyl
Sen. John McCain
Sen. John Boozman
Sen. Mark Pryor
DF
DDF
DB+
Rick Crawford
Tim Griffin
Steve Womack
Mike Ross
1
2
3
4
CALIFORNIA B-
GPA
Mike Thompson
Wally Herger
Daniel Lungren
Tom McClintock
Doris Matsui
Lynn Woolsey
George Miller
Nancy Pelosi
Barbara Lee
John Garamendi
Jerry McNerney
Jackie Speier
Pete Stark
Anna Eshoo
Mike Honda
Zoe Lofgren
Sam Farr
VACANT
Jeff Denham
C
2
INC
D+
INC
A
CC
A+
INC
17
0.7
F
C
Sen. Barbara Boxer
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
2.4
D
F
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
GPA
D
D
B+
C
Don Young
Paul Gosar
Trent Franks
Ben Quayle
Ed Pastor
David Schweikert
Jeff Flake
Raul Grijalva
Ron Barber
ARKANSAS D-
0.9
F
F
F
C+
2.6
AA-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
B
DDC
B+
A+
A
B
A+
B
B
B
A+
B
A
AA
F
Jim Costa
Devin Nunes
Kevin McCarthy
Lois Capps
Elton Gallegly
Buck McKeon
David Dreier
Brad Sherman
Howard Berman
Adam Schiff
Henry Waxman
Xavier Becerra
Judy Chu
Karen Bass
Lucille Roybal-Allard
Maxine Waters
Janice Hahn
Laura Richardson
Grace Napolitano
Linda Sánchez
Ed Royce
Jerry Lewis
Gary Miller
Joe Baca
Ken Calvert
Mary Bono Mack
Dana Rohrabacher
Loretta Sanchez
John Campbell
Darrell Issa
Brian Bilbray
Bob Filner
Duncan Hunter
Susan Davis
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
COLORADO C+
GPA
Sen. Michael Bennet
Sen. Mark Udall
Diana DeGette
Jared Polis
ScottTipton
Cory Gardner
Doug Lamborn
Mike Coffman
Ed Perlmutter
CONNECTICUT B+
BINC
D
B+
DD
DB
INC
B+
A
A
A
A
A
A
INC
A
INC
A
CD
D
B
DD
C
B
F
D
CINC
D
B+
Sen. Richard Blumenthal
Sen. Joe Lieberman
John Larson
Joe Courtney
Rosa DeLauro
Jim Himes
Christopher Murphy
1
2
3
4
5
DELAWARE B
GPA
AL
FLORIDA C-
GPA
Sen. Bill Nelson
Sen. Marco Rubio
2.2
B+
B
F
CCCB-
18
B+
AAB
B+
3
B
B
John Carney
Jeff Miller
Steve Southerland
Corrine Brown
Ander Crenshaw
Richard Nugent
Cliff Stearns
John Mica
Daniel Webster
Gus Bilirakis
Bill Young
Kathy Castor
Dennis Ross
Vern Buchanan
Connie Mack
Bill Posey
Tom Rooney
Frederica Wilson
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ted Deutch
Debbie Wasserman
Schultz
Mario Diaz-Balart
Allen West
Alcee Hastings
Sandy Adams
David Rivera
3.3
A
C
Sen. Thomas Carper
Sen. Chris Coons
C+
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
GPA
B
1.6
B+
D
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
D+
DA
DF
DD
D
DD
B
F
D
C
F
DACA
20
21
22
23
24
25
B
C
DA
F
C-
GEORGIA C-
GPA
Sen. Saxby Chambliss
Sen. Johnny Isakson
F
F
Jack Kingston
Sanford Bishop
Lynn Westmoreland
Hank Johnson
John Lewis
Tom Price
Robert Woodall
Austin Scott
Tom Graves
Paul Broun
Phil Gingrey
John Barrow
David Scott
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
HAWAII B+
GPA
Sen. Daniel Akaka
Sen. Daniel Inouye
Colleen Hanabusa
Mazie Hirono
IDAHO D+
D
B
D+
A+
A
CC
F
D+
C
D
C+
B
1
2
GPA
3.3
B
A1.3
1
2
ILLINOIS C+
GPA
Sen. Dick Durbin
Sen. Mark Kirk
C+
D2.4
A+
INC
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
INDIANA D+
GPA
1
2
3
B
C+
D
Todd Rokita
Dan Burton
Mike Pence
André Carson
Larry Bucshon
Todd Young
4
5
6
7
8
9
F
D
F
A
F
F
IOWA C+
GPA
2.3
D
A
Bruce Braley
David Loebsack
Leonard Boswell
Tom Latham
Steve King
1
2
3
4
5
KANSAS D-
GPA
Tim Huelskamp
Lynn Jenkins
Kevin Yoder
Mike Pompeo
19
1.2
Peter Visclosky
Joe Donnelly
Marlin Stutzman
Sen. Jerry Moran
Sen. Pat Roberts
A
INC
BA
B
CA
C
A+
D+
CBD+
D+
C+
D
D+
CC-
D
D
Sen. Charles Grassley
Sen. Tom Harkin
D
D
Raul Labrador
Mike Simpson
Adam Kinzinger
Jerry Costello
Judy Biggert
Randy Hultgren
Timothy Johnson
Donald Manzullo
Bobby Schilling
Aaron Schock
John Shimkus
Sen. Daniel Coats
Sen. Richard Lugar
B+
B
Sen. Mike Crapo
Sen. James Risch
Bobby Rush
Jesse Jackson
Daniel Lipinski
Luis Gutierrez
Mike Quigley
Peter Roskam
Danny Davis
Joe Walsh
Jan Schakowsky
Robert Dold
1.8
B
BBCD0.8
D
C-
1
2
3
4
D+
D
F
F
KENTUCKY C-
GPA
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Sen. Rand Paul
Ed Whitfield
Brett Guthrie
John Yarmuth
VACANT
Harold Rogers
Ben Chandler
1
2
3
4
5
6
LOUISIANA D+
GPA
Sen. Mary Landrieu
Sen. David Vitter
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
MAINE B-
GPA
Sen. Susan Collins
Sen. Olympia Snowe
MARYLAND B
Andy Harris
Dutch Ruppersberger
John Sarbanes
Donna Edwards
Steny Hoyer
Roscoe Bartlett
Elijah Cummings
Chris Van Hollen
C
DB
John Olver
Richard Neal
James McGovern
Barney Frank
Niki Tsongas
John Tierney
Ed Markey
Michael Capuano
Stephen Lynch
William Keating
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
MICHIGAN C+
GPA
DC+
1.3
F
B
INC
F
CD
D-
A
B
3
AA-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
F
B
A
A
B
CA
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
MINNESOTA C+
GPA
Sen. Al Franken
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
20
A
AA
A
B+
AA
A
B+
B+
2.4
A
B+
Dan Benishek
Bill Huizenga
Justin Amash
Dave Camp
Dale Kildee
Fred Upton
Tim Walberg
Mike Rogers
Gary Peters
Candice Miller
VACANT
Sander Levin
Hansen Clarke
John Conyers
John Dingell
Timothy Walz
John Kline
Erik Paulsen
Betty McCollum
Keith Ellison
Michele Bachmann
Collin Peterson
Chip Cravaack
3.5
CB
Sen. Carl Levin
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
2.8
GPA
Sen. Ben Cardin
Sen. Barbara Mikulski
GPA
Sen. Scott Brown
Sen. John Kerry
C
C
1
2
A-
D
D
B
D
Steve Scalise
Cedric Richmond
Jeffrey Landry
John Fleming
Rodney Alexander
William Cassidy
Charles Boustany
Chellie Pingree
Michael Michaud
MASSACHUSETTS
1.5
F
CC+
D+
A
DD+
DB
CB
A
A+
A
2.3
A+
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
C+
DD
INC
A
D+
BC-
MISSISSIPPI D
GPA
Sen. Thad Cochran
Sen. Roger Wicker
Alan Nunnelee
Bennie Thompson
Gregg Harper
Steven Palazzo
1
2
3
4
MISSOURI C-
GPA
Sen. Roy Blunt
Sen. Claire McCaskill
D
D
Sen. Kelly Ayotte
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
F
B
DF
Frank Guinta
Charles Bass
NEW JERSEY B-
1.8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
A
INC
AF
A
DF
CD-
GPA
1.5
Sen. Max Baucus
Sen. Jon Tester
AC
Dennis Rehberg
AL
NEBRASKA D
GPA
F
C
1
2
3
NEVADA C-
GPA
Sen. Dean Heller
Sen. Harry Reid
Shelley Berkley
Mark Amodei
Joe Heck
C
F
D-
NEW MEXICO B-
GPA
Timothy Bishop
Steve Israel
Pete King
Carolyn McCarthy
Gary Ackerman
Gregory Meeks
Joseph Crowley
Jerrold Nadler
1.8
B
INC
D+
21
D
C
2.8
A
B+
AC
C
C
CA
CA
AF
A
B2.6
B
A-
1
2
3
GPA
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Sen. Chuck Schumer
F
B
1
2
3
GPA
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
NEW YORK BJeff Fortenberry
Lee Terry
Adrian Smith
1
2
Robert Andrews
Frank LoBiondo
Jon Runyan
Chris Smith
Scott Garrett
Frank Pallone
Leonard Lance
Bill Pascrell
Steven Rothman
VACANT
Rodney Frelinghuysen
Rush Holt
Albio Sires
Martin Heinrich
Steve Pearce
Ben Luján
0.9
1.8
D
B+
Sen. Jeff Bingaman
Sen. Tom Udall
D+
Sen. Mike Johanns
Sen. Ben Nelson
GPA
Sen. Frank Lautenberg
Sen. Robert Menendez
F
B
Lacy Clay
Todd Akin
Russ Carnahan
Vicky Hartzler
Emanuel Cleaver
Sam Graves
Billy Long
Jo Ann Emerson
Blaine Luetkemeyer
MONTANA C-
NEW HAMPSHIRE C-
1
BDB
2.6
A
C+
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
BB
CB
B
INC
BA
Robert Turner
Edolphus Towns
Yvette Clarke
Nydia Velázquez
Michael Grimm
Carolyn Maloney
Charles Rangel
Jóse Serrano
Eliot Engel
Nita Lowey
Nan Hayworth
Chris Gibson
Paul Tonko
Maurice Hinchey
Bill Owens
Richard Hanna
Ann Marie Buerkle
Kathy Hochul
Brian Higgins
Louise Slaughter
Tom Reed
NORTH CAROLINA
C
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
D
INC
A+
AC+
B
INC
A
B
B
F
C+
AA
C+
CF
INC
B
INC
D-
GPA
2.1
Sen. Richard Burr
Sen. Kay Hagan
G.K. Butterfield
Renee Ellmers
Walter Jones
David Price
Virginia Foxx
Howard Coble
Mike McIntyre
Larry Kissell
Sue Myrick
Patrick McHenry
Heath Shuler
Mel Watt
Brad Miller
NORTH DAKOTA C-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
AF
C+
ACC
C+
C+
F
D
INC
AA
GPA
1.8
Steve Chabot
Jean Schmidt
Michael Turner
Jim Jordan
Robert Latta
Bill Johnson
Steve Austria
John Boehner
Marcy Kaptur
Dennis Kucinich
Marcia Fudge
Pat Tiberi
Betty Sutton
Steven LaTourette
Steve Stivers
Jim Renacci
Tim Ryan
Bob Gibbs
OKLAHOMA D
John Sullivan
Dan Boren
Frank Lucas
Tom Cole
James Lankford
OREGON B+
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
DCINC
F
F
D+
DINC
A
A+
A+
CB
C+
D+
DB+
F
GPA
0.9
CD
1
2
3
4
5
GPA
Sen. Jeff Merkley
Sen. Ron Wyden
Suzanne Bonamici
Greg Walden
Earl Blumenauer
Peter DeFazio
Kurt Schrader
D-
22
1.9
A+
D
Sen. Tom Coburn
Sen. James Inhofe
AD
AL
GPA
Sen. Sherrod Brown
Sen. Rob Portman
F
C
Sen. Kent Conrad
Sen. John Hoeven
Rick Berg
OHIO C
DC+
DF
F
3.2
A
B+
1
2
3
4
5
INC
CAB+
B
PENNSYLVANIA C
GPA
Sen. Robert Casey
Sen. Patrick Toomey
Robert Brady
Chaka Fattah
Mike Kelly
Jason Altmire
Glenn Thompson
Jim Gerlach
Pat Meehan
Michael Fitzpatrick
Bill Shuster
Tom Marino
Lou Barletta
Mark Critz
Allyson Schwartz
Mike Doyle
Charles Dent
Joseph Pitts
Tim Holden
Tim Murphy
Todd Platts
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
RHODE ISLAND A-
GPA
Sen. Jack Reed
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
David Cicilline
Jim Langevin
SOUTH CAROLINA
GPA
Sen. Jim DeMint
Sen. Lindsey Graham
Tim Scott
Joe Wilson
Jeff Duncan
Trey Gowdy
Mick Mulvaney
James Clyburn
Sen. Tim Johnson
Sen. John Thune
A+
A
D+
BDCC
C+
D
INC
D
BB
A
DF
B
C
C-
Kristi Noem
AL
TENNESSEE C-
GPA
Phil Roe
John Duncan
Chuck Fleischmann
Scott DesJarlais
Jim Cooper
Diane Black
Marsha Blackburn
Stephen Fincher
Steve Cohen
TEXAS C-
D
Louie Gohmert
Ted Poe
Sam Johnson
Ralph Hall
Jeb Hensarling
Joe Barton
John Culberson
Kevin Brady
Al Green
Michael McCaul
Michael Conaway
Kay Granger
Mac Thornberry
Ron Paul
Rubén Hinojosa
Silvestre Reyes
Bill Flores
Sheila Jackson Lee
Randy Neugebauer
Charlie Gonzalez
Lamar Smith
Pete Olson
Francisco Canseco
B+
B+
1.3
F
D+
D+
D+
C
B+
23
1.6
CC-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
GPA
Sen. John Cornyn
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
3.7
1.4
B+
F
Sen. Lamar Alexander
Sen. Bob Corker
D
F
1
2
3
4
5
6
GPA
B
D
A
A+
1
2
D+
SOUTH DAKOTA D+
2.1
F
C
D
DBCF
CA+
1.5
D
C-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
C
DDDDDDF
A
CF
F
DINC
INC
B
D
A
D+
B
D
F
D
Kenny Marchant
Lloyd Doggett
Michael Burgess
Blake Farenthold
Henry Cuellar
Gene Green
Eddie Bernice Johnson
John Carter
Pete Sessions
UTAH D
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
GPA
Sen. Orrin Hatch
Sen. Mike Lee
1
2
3
Sen. Patrick Leahy
Sen. Bernie Sanders
Peter Welch
AL
VIRGINIA C-
GPA
Sen. Mark Warner
Sen. Jim Webb
Robert Wittman
Scott Rigell
Robert Scott
Randy Forbes
Robert Hurt
Bob Goodlatte
Eric Cantor
James Moran
Morgan Griffith
Frank Wolf
Gerry Connolly
1.1
D
C+
F
GPA
2.4
B
A
VACANT
Rick Larsen
Jaime Herrera Beutler
Doc Hastings
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Norman Dicks
Jim McDermott
David Reichert
Adam Smith
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
WEST VIRGINIA B-
GPA
Sen. Joe Manchin
Sen. Jay Rockefeller
B
C
DF
B
A+
D
B+
2.6
C+
A-
4
A
A+
David McKinley
Shelley Moore Capito
Nick Rahall
A
WISCONSIN C+
1.8
1
2
3
GPA
Sen. Ron Johnson
Sen. Herb Kohl
B
C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
GPA
Sen. Maria Cantwell
Sen. Patty Murray
INC
D
Rob Bishop
Jim Matheson
Jason Chaffetz
VERMONT A+
WASHINGTON C+
D
B+
D
DC+
AA+
DD-
WYOMING D -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
GPA
Sen. John Barrasso
Sen. Michael Enzi
Cynthia Lummis
24
2.3
CB
Paul Ryan
Tammy Baldwin
Ron Kind
Gwen Moore
James Sensenbrenner
Thomas Petri
Sean Duffy
Reid Ribble
DCADDD
D
A
DC
B-
C+
CB
C
ABA
C
C
DD+
0.8
D
F
AL
D+
Appendix 3: State delegation grades
compared to state poverty and
economic inequality (Gini coefficient) rankings
STATE
MISSISSIPPI
NEW MEXICO
LOUISIANA
ARKANSAS
KENTUCKY
GEORGIA
ALABAMA
ARIZONA
SOUTH CAROLINA
WEST VIRGINIA
TEXAS
TENNESSEE
NORTH CAROLINA
MICHIGAN
OREGON
OKLAHOMA
FLORIDA
CALIFORNIA
IDAHO
OHIO
INDIANA
NEW YORK
NEVADA
MISSOURI
ILLINOIS
MONTANA
RHODE ISLAND
MAINE
SOUTH DAKOTA
WASHINGTON
KANSAS
PENNSYLVANIA
UTAH
COLORADO
NEBRASKA
WISCONSIN
IOWA
NORTH DAKOTA
HAWAII
MINNESOTA
DELAWARE
MASSACHUSETTS
GPA
1
2.6
1.3
0.7
1.5
1.8
0.9
2
1.3
2.6
1.5
1.6
2.1
2.4
3.2
0.9
1.6
2.6
1.3
1.9
1.2
2.6
1.8
1.8
2.4
1.5
3.7
2.8
1.4
2.4
0.8
2.1
1.1
2.2
0.9
2.3
2.3
1.8
3.3
2.3
3
3.5
GRADE
D
BD+
DCCD
C
D+
BCCC
C+
B+
D
CBD+
C
D+
BCCC+
CABD+
C+
DC
D
C+
D
C+
C+
CB+
C+
B
A-
1% Friendly
Rank
7
37
10
1
13
18
4
25
12
37
13
16
27
33
45
4
16
37
10
24
9
37
18
18
33
13
49
41
25
33
2
27
8
29
4
30
30
18
46
30
43
48
25
Poverty
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
5
7
7
9
10
11
12
13
14
14
16
17
18
19
20
21
21
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
29
31
31
33
33
35
35
37
38
39
40
40
42
Gini Rank
1=most unequal
11
4
3
18
16
7
11
27
21
13
7
10
13
23
28
23
5
5
44
28
20
1
31
23
13
41
19
33
44
35
37
23
48
28
31
40
43
35
47
37
39
7
Gini
0.474
0.482
0.484
0.468
0.471
0.477
0.474
0.460
0.465
0.472
0.477
0.476
0.472
0.461
0.459
0.461
0.481
0.481
0.432
0.459
0.466
0.499
0.453
0.461
0.472
0.435
0.467
0.451
0.432
0.445
0.444
0.461
0.425
0.459
0.453
0.437
0.434
0.445
0.430
0.444
0.440
0.477
VIRGINIA
VERMONT
WYOMING
CONNECTICUT
ALASKA
NEW JERSEY
MARYLAND
NEW HAMPSHIRE
1.8
4
0.8
3.3
2.4
2.8
3
1.8
CA+
DB+
C+
BB
C-
18
50
2
46
33
41
43
18
26
43
43
45
46
47
48
49
50
22
46
50
2
49
17
34
41
0.463
0.431
0.408
0.486
0.410
0.469
0.447
0.435
Appendix 4: Methodology and Sources
For each congressionalaction evaluated we awarded numerical points as follows: Recorded votes
that would widen inequality (in favor of the 1%) minus 1 point; for recorded votes in favor of
reducing inequality (in favor of the 99 percent) plus 1 point; for sponsorship of bills that would
increase inequality, minus 1 point for lead sponsor; minus 0.5 point for co-sponsors. For
sponsorship of bills that would reduce inequality, plus 1 point for lead sponsor, plus 0.5 point for
co-sponsors.
We then calculated numerical point scores for all Members, excluding those who missed more
than one recorded vote (they received INC, for incomplete. Details on each Members vote and
sponsorship record along with point totals can be found at [insert link]
We next broke each chamber of Congress into five equal groups and assigned letter grades A
through F. Where large groups of Members had the same score, we bumped them into the better
letter grade. For instance in the House, there are substantially more than a fifth of Members with
a grade of D, but substantially less with the grade of F. We looked for groupings at the top and
bottom of each grade, and awarded “+” and “-” rankings accordingly.
Grade adjustments: In his role as Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid twice voted against the
position of other Democrats. He did so in order to preserve the parliamentary right to reconsider
a vote that had failed. We adjusted his votes on these two bills and adjusted his grade accordingly.
Senator Rand Paul voted against the Ryan Budget, a vote we regard as favoring the 99%.
However, in explaining his vote, Senator Paul made clear he opposed the bill because it did not
cut spending enough, a move that would have hurt the 99% even more than the Ryan Budget. So
we adjusted his vote on this issue and his grade accordingly. According to House tradition, the
Speaker of the House votes only in the case of a tie. As there were no ties on the issues we
covered, Speaker Boehner made no recorded votes and was thereby awarded a grade of
“incomplete.”
Grade distribution break-down:
House of Representatives
14
50
19
18
47
16
20
26
35
23
35
54
48
25
Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
INC(omplete)
27
Senate
5
9
8
8
14
0
3
9
7
0
24
0
11
2
Data Sources:
Recorded votes: official records of the House and Senate. Roll Call vote numbers can be found at the top
of each column of this spreadsheet detailing Member votes and sponsorship activity: http://www.ipsdc.org/reports/inequality-report-card/
Bill Co-Sponsors: Library of Congress‟s Thomas database. Information on bill co-sponsors is current as
of September 4, 2012.
Congressional wealth: “50 Richest Members of Congress in Roll Call (newspaper serving Capitol Hill)
http://www.rollcall.com/50richest/the-50-richest-members-of-congress-112th-2012.html
Corporate funders of the “Failing 48”: www.opensecrets.org
State poverty and Gini coefficients by state: U.S. Census Bureau. State poverty data from Table 1
found on page 3 of this report: http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr11-01.pdf State inequality
data (GINI coefficients) is found in Appendix Table 1, page 5, here:
http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr11-02.pdf
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