March 12, 2020
Contact: Ed Potosnak (732) 991-7574
New Jersey LCV Announces Congressional Delegation Scores from the 2019 National Environmental Scorecard
Trenton – New Jersey League of Conservation Voters released the New Jersey Congressional Delegation’s scores from the League of Conservation Voters’ 2019 National Environmental Scorecard showcasing the difference a diverse, pro-environment majority in the House of Representatives can make. The Scorecard is the primary yardstick for evaluating the environmental records of every member of Congress, and is available for download here, in Spanish here, and online at scorecard.lcv.org.
The 2019 Scorecard includes 29 House votes on climate-related bills, protections for our air, water, lands, and wildlife, and pro-democracy legislation. Unfortunately, in the Senate, for the third year in a row, the majority of the 14 scored votes are confirmation votes on Trump’s anti-environmental nominees.
“As the Trump administration continues to roll back environmental protections that actively put our environment and health at risk, Senator Robert Menendez and Representatives Frank Pallone, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Bill Pascrell all received scores of 100 percent. They and the other members of our delegation stood up for New Jersey’s air, water, land and wildlife,” said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey LCV. “New Jerseyans should be proud because not one member of our congressional delegation received a score below 70 percent - with the exception of Senator Cory Booker, who missed votes due to his presidential campaign resulting in a lower score. Senator Booker continues to be an outstanding environmental champion,” Potosnak added.
The 2019 Scorecard measures votes cast during the first session of the 116th Congress. In New Jersey, 11 House members and one Senator earned a score of 80 percent or greater. The average House score for New Jersey was 94 percent and the average Senate score was 75 percent. The full delegation’s scores for 2019 are:
|
Senator/Representative |
Score |
|
Robert Menendez |
100% |
|
Cory Booker |
50% * |
|
Donald Norcross |
97% |
|
Jeff Van Drew |
93% |
|
Andy Kim |
97% |
|
Chris Smith |
72% |
|
Josh Gottheimer |
97% |
|
Frank Pallone |
100% |
|
Tom Malinowski |
97% |
|
Albio Sires |
93% |
|
Bill Pascrell |
100% |
|
Donald Payne Jr. |
90% |
|
Mikie Sherrill |
93% |
|
Bonnie Watson Coleman |
100% |
* Due to votes missed while Senator Booker ran for President of the United States.
“We are grateful to Speaker Pelosi and her pro-environment majority for prioritizing climate action and protections of our air, water, lands, wildlife, and democracy,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. “While pro-environment leaders supported policies that will protect communities across the country, especially low-income communities and communities of color, from the negative impacts of climate change-fueled extreme heat, natural disasters, and toxic pollution last year, Senate Majority Leader McConnell’s refusal to act on hundreds of important House-passed bills put the health of our children and families at risk for the benefit of his corporate polluter friends.”
LCV has published a National Environmental Scorecard for every Congress since 1970. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from about 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who select the key votes on which members of Congress should be scored. LCV scores votes on the most important issues of the year, including energy, climate change, public health, public lands and wildlife conservation, and spending for environmental programs. The votes included in the Scorecard present members of Congress with a real choice and help distinguish which legislators are working for environmental protection. More information on individual votes and the Scorecard archive can be found at scorecard.lcv.org.