NTU Rates Congress 2007 - Bad News for Arkansas!

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation released the NTU Rates Congress 2007 today. Their comprehensive ratings covers every roll call vote in the House and Senate that affects tax, spending, regulation, trade, and debt burdens. Based on their individual votes, each Representative and Senator receives a Taxpayer Score (percentage) and a corresponding grade. The numbers speak for themselves; NTU doesn't “tweak” the scores to reward political allies. The Public may look up individual score histories for their Representative or Senator .

The 2007 rating reviewed a staggering 427 House and 182 Senate roll call votes. In comparison, our 2006 rating covered 199 House and 109 Senate roll call votes. The average Senate Taxpayer Score was 37%, with the House only averaging 35%. In other words, our national leaders only voted for taxpayers one-third of the time.

Arkansas, Representative John Boozman (R - Dist1) had the best NTU score for the Arkansas delegation with an improved score of 69% which was up 12% from his prior years score. Boozman also rose in his Ranking from from 119 to 116 in the House which was difficult with House Republicans returning in general to their former goals of supporting the taxpayers. Republicans, now in the minority, responded to their 2006 drubbing at the polls. House GOP members took the election results as a referendum on their declining fiscal discipline and on refocused on taxpayers' concerns. Thus, they improved in general their pro-taxpayer score by nine points to 69%.

All of Arkansas Democrat delegation saw drops in their percentages and remained with failing (F) grades. Democrats in both chambers saw drops in average scores: 16% to 6% in the House and 15% to 8% in the Senate. These factors may be contributing to the decline in public confidence in the national polls for Democrat leadership in the US Congress.

2007 Results for the Arkansas Delegation
Senators:
Mark Pryor (D): F Grade, 6%, Rank 70th (score declined by 7% from 13% in 2006)
Blanche Lincoln (D): F Grade, 9%, Rank 62nd (score declined by 8% from 17% in 2006)

Representatives:
Dist 1 - Marion Berry (D): F Grade, 8%, Rank 234 (score declined by 16% from 24% in 2006)
Dist 2 - Vic Synder (D): F Grade, 5%, Rank 320 (score declined by 9% from 14% in 2006)
Dist 3 - John Boozman (R): B- Grade, 69%, Rank 116 (score increased by 12% from 57% in 2006)
Dist 4 - Mike Ross (D): F Grade, 6%, Rank 264 (score declined by 16% from 22% in 2006)

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