Club for Growth names the worst Republicans on economics

EXCLUSIVE – The conservative Club for Growth has released its 2023 Congressional Economic Scorecard, an annual ranking in which the influential anti-tax organization ranks what it considers to be the best and worst voting records of lawmakers on economic policy issues.

The list was topped by Congress’s biggest fiscal hawks, including those who had tried to overturn bipartisan spending deals. Those who sought bipartisan help more frequently fared poorly.

Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT) finished top in the Senate with 100%. Adding in several other ties, a total of 14 Republicans made the top 10, including Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), who is running for Republican chairman, and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC).

Scott is one of the congressmen on former President Donald Trump’s shortlist for vice president.

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

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

In the House, the race was neck-and-neck among 42 Republicans with a perfect score of 100%. They included House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-VA), who is trailing his Trump-backed challenger in a primary whose outcome is still too uncertain to predict a winner; Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), another possible Trump vice presidential candidate; and former Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA).

The worst-performing Republican in the House was Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, with 37%. The best-performing Democratic in the House, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), scored slightly higher at 40%.

The foundation stated that its mission is “to educate the general public about the benefits of a free market economy and limited government policy and to provide the public with a detailed understanding of the position of each legislator on important legislative proposals.”

“With the release of the Congressional Economic Scorecard, the Club for Growth Foundation is providing a first-hand look at the voting record of every member on Capitol Hill,” said David McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth Foundation. “Through our analysis, Americans across the country will have a clear understanding of where their members stand on pro-growth economic policies.”

The scorecard does not include all legislation, but only what the Club for Growth considers to be “key legislation that either advances or undermines the principles of economic freedom and limited government.” Of the more than 1,000 votes between the House and Senate, the organization considered 17 votes from the House and 14 from the Senate.

These votes in the House included an unsuccessful attempt to elect Republican Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio) as speaker; the reversal of several of President Joe Biden’s environmental policies; a bipartisan agreement to raise the nation’s debt ceiling to avoid default; several education-related amendments, including promoting private school choice and dissolving the Department of Education; and the elimination of IRS funding under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Senate voted on several bills to fund the government, including stopgap measures to avoid shutdowns and annual budgets; the bipartisan agreement to raise the nation’s debt ceiling; the confirmation of Daniel Werfel as IRS commissioner; the rollback of several of Biden’s environmental protections; the repeal of the president’s student loan debt forgiveness; tariff policy; and the end of so-called “earmarks” that individual lawmakers add to bills to fund the government for local projects or programs in their home states or districts.

The scorecard has been created since 2005.

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Club for Growth also announced the 2023 Defenders of Economic Freedom Award winners, including 49 House Republicans and six top-performing GOP senators. Recipients must have a rating of 90% or higher in the previous legislative year and maintain a rating of 90% or higher over their lifetime.

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