Scores 95 Percent on CCAGW’s Congressional Ratings

Washington, D.C. – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today honored Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) as a Taxpayer Hero for scoring 95 percent on its 2006 Congressional Ratings.  The average for the entire Senate was 44 percent.  Since 1991, CCAGW has tracked roll call votes to separate the taxpayer advocates in Congress from those who favor wasteful programs and pork-barrel spending.  As one of 19 senators with a score of 80 percent or higher, Sen. Inhofe consistently voted to cut wasteful spending, reduce the tax burden, and make government more accountable to taxpayers. 

“Actions speak louder than words,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “The way a member chooses to vote is the best indicator of whether a professed commitment to fiscal discipline is real.”

The 2006 Congressional Ratings cover the voting year 2006, the second session of the 109^th Congress.  CCAGW rated 21 key votes in the Senate.  Sen. Inhofe voted to reduce spending in appropriations bills, enact earmark reform, cap damage awards in medical liability lawsuits, and repeal the estate tax.

“Sen. Inhofe puts the interests of taxpayers ahead of politics by recognizing the long-term consequences of excessive spending and working to reduce the enormous debt being left to future generations,” Schatz continued. 

“When Congress had opportunities to vote for amendments that would have removed blatantly parochial special-interest projects and demonstrated that they were finally addressing spending and ethics problems, Sen. Inhofe went against the grain and voted ‘yes.’  At the time that CCAGW ratings on cutting wasteful spending and taxes reached the abyss, Sen. Inhofe gives taxpayers hope for the future,” Schatz concluded.  

CCAGW’s website features the complete 2006 Congressional Ratings, including vote descriptions, scorecards for the House and Senate, personalized scorecards for each member of Congress, and averages by chamber, party, and state delegation.  Visit www.ccagw.org. 

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.