Posted on 04/08/2002 9:54:58 AM PDT by RooRoobird14
Clinton Gets Worst Tax Rating Ever For New Senator
Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - The National Taxpayers Union has issued its annual "Taxpayers Score," which rates members of Congress based on their fiscal voting records, and the group said one freshman senator stands out.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) "earned the dubious distinction of being the lowest-scoring member of the Senate in 2001, with a 3 percent [rating]," NTU said in its announcement.
"This is the worst score for a Senate freshman in their first year in office that NTU has ever recorded," the group added.
Clinton's fellow New York Democrat, Charles Rangel, was identified as the "biggest spender" in the House of Representatives, with a 6 percent score.
The "Taxpayer Score" is based on every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy, according to the group. The numerical rating is designed to serve as an indication of the commitment each member of Congress has, or does not have, "to reducing or controlling federal spending, taxes, debt, and regulation."
CNSNews.com contacted the offices of both Clinton and Rangel for comment regarding their scores. Those calls were not returned prior to publication of this story.
A total of 155 House and 194 Senate roll call votes were selected for the 2001 assessment.
NTU rated votes involving obvious tax issues, such as the Republican tax relief bill and the vote to temporarily repeal the estate tax, also called the "death tax." The group also rated less obvious votes, including consideration of public funding for congressional races and proposals to extend "loan forgiveness" to certain Head Start teachers.
Texas Republican Ron Paul earned the highest score in the House, 88 percent. This is the third year in a row Paul has received the House's high score. Colorado Republican Senator Wayne Allard took top honors in the Senate, also with a score of 88 percent. His colleague Jon Kyle (R-Ariz.) was "just a fraction of a point behind Allard."
NTU says that, despite the 2001 tax cuts, the average scores for both the House and Senate were down slightly from 2000. The House average dropped 4 points to 41 percent. The Senate lost one point, down to a 46 percent average rating.
"Congress made a promising start for overburdened Americans last year by passing modest tax relief, but the months that followed were a disappointing finish for fiscal responsibility," NTU President John Berthoud said announcing the 2001 scores.
"Congress will need to pay more attention to making every dollar count in 2002, not only for the War on Terror but also for pro-growth tax cuts to get our economy moving again," he added.
Wonder if she was thinking of Chelsea when she said this?
The kind of people she kisses on the cheek in public?
We're screwed as it will be a long time until a real Republican is elected to a statewide office in NY or NJ.
Well, the last time I voted for a Republican who won in NY was Pataki, and well, I might as well voted for Cuomo. Pataki has done more to limit my gun rights, raise taxes, than any other Democrat that comes to recent memory.
I for one am going to throw my vote away next election and vote libertarian. I would rather have a stoned official that stays out of my pocket than a sober one who steals constantly from me.
At least Guiliani was honest about his liberal leanings, Pataki pretends to be Reagan, and raises taxes like Jimmy Carter. All in all, Pataki and Hillary Clinton are cut from the same branch.
Usually it takes a few terms to gte this low a rating!
The rating would show how legislators vote on bills to give them more power, more job security, against bills to free their constituents from needless legal oppression.
I would also like to see how legislators vote for or against small businesses.
Where do you folks meet now that they don't have enclosed phone booths anymore ?
Don't tell that to the "anyone but Cuomo/McCall/Sharpton" crowd. I myself will be voting absentee for Jeb when I return from my three year Florida exile, but will vote libertarian if Pataki runs again in 2006. NY needs term limits badly.
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