How the Iowans fared on the 2011 National Environmental Scorecard

The League of Conservation Voters released its National Environmental Scorecard yesterday, based on 11 U.S. Senate votes and 35 U.S. House votes during 2011.

Disclaimer: environmental interest group scorecards for legislators aren’t always a perfect reflection of that lawmaker’s commitment to protecting the environment. However, they provide a good snapshot of important votes.

From the League of Conservation Voters’ February 7 news release:

The 2011 Scorecard reflects the most anti-environmental session of the U.S. House of Representatives in history, featuring unparalleled assaults on our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health safeguards. […]

The 2011 Scorecard includes 11 Senate and a record 35 House votes on issues ranging from public health protections to clean energy to land and wildlife conservation. The House votes included in the 2011 Scorecard are simply many of the most significant votes taken in a year that saw the House voting more than 200 times on the environment and public health.

This year, 31 senators earned a perfect 100% score, while in the House 24 members earned a perfect 100% score. In the Senate, 13 senators earned an appalling 0% score, while in the House 4 members earned a 0% score. A major indicator of the change in landscape in the House for 2011 is the fact that the average lifetime score of members defeated in the 2010 election cycle was 73% while the average 2011 score of the House members who replaced them is 15%.

Click here to read descriptions of the 35 House votes and here for descriptions of the Senate votes used to compile the scorecard.

Iowa’s Democrats in Congress scored noticeably higher than the Republicans. Chuck Grassley was one of the 13 senators to receive a zero on the 2011 scorecard, just like he did in 2009 and 2010. Tom Harkin scored 91 percent, which is generally in line with his past scores. The League of Conservation Voters dinged him mostly for votes on biofuels and other energy-related legislation.

Representative Dave Loebsack (D, IA-02) got the highest score (94 percent) among the five Iowans in the House. He would have done even better if not for his vote for on a bill related to pesticide pollution. Loebsack has scored above 90 percent on LCV scorecards during each of his terms in Congress.

Bruce Braley (D, IA-01) scored 86 percent last year, not as good as his perfect score for his second term in Congress, but similar to his score for his first term.

Leonard Boswell (D, IA-03) scored 66 percent for 2011, noticeably worse than he did in 2010 and 2009. Looking at Boswell’s LCV scores during the past seven terms, you can see that Boswell looked more like a defender of the environment when Democrats controlled the House chamber. From 2007 through 2010, House leaders weren’t putting one horrible environmental bill after another up for a vote. But in 2011, Boswell cast the “anti” environmental vote on many bills related related to energy, air and water pollution.

Boswell’s 2012 election opponent, Representative Tom Latham (IA-04), received only an 11 percent score from the LCV. That’s neither his best nor his worst score. If you click the link you’ll see the few votes (mostly on funding and flood insurance) that kept Latham from joining the club of House Republicans with perfect zeroes.

Speaking of which, the 9 percent score for Representative Steve King (IA-05) was his highest ever on the LCV scorecard. A few flood-related and energy votes kept King from getting the zeroes he received from the LCV from 2005 through 2008.

Latham and King received failing grades on the Sierra Club’s “Clean Water Report Card” last October. Braley and Loebsack received high grades on that scorecard, while Boswell got a D.

Progressive Punch ratings provide the most comprehensive view of Congressional voting behavior on 14 categories, including the environment. Click the links below for details on the lifetime voting record for each of the Iowans in Congress.

{{Chuck Grassley}}

{{Tom Harkin}}

{{Bruce Braley}}

{{Dave Loebsack}}

{{Leonard Boswell}}

{{Tom Latham}}

{{Steve King}}

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