New Jersey LCV Announces Delegation Scores from LCV’s 2015 National Environmental Scorecard 

Trenton, NJ – New Jersey LCV today unveiled scores for the New Jersey delegation released as part of the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) 2015 National Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard includes the most votes ever scored and reveals the most anti-environmental Congress in our history. Nonetheless, President Obama, joined by some strong conservation allies from New Jersey, led the way on combating climate change and protecting our environment. The Scorecard is available in both English and Spanish at scorecard.lcv.org.
 
“Once again, too many members of Congress were complicit in extreme attacks on important environmental laws and more recent progress to protect our air, water, public lands, and wildlife,” said New Jersey LCV’s Executive Director Ed Potosnak. “Despite last year being the hottest year on record, members like Congressmen Garrett and Freinghuysen put polluters’ agenda ahead of the health of New Jerseyans, safeguarding the environment, and climate action. Fortunately, New Jersey’s strongest environmental allies like Senators Menendez and Booker and Congress Members Pallone and Watson Coleman consistently stood up to these radical attacks.”
 
The 2015 Scorecard includes votes cast during the first session of the 114th Congress. Both chambers seemingly left no environmental issue untouched in 2015, with assaults on the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Antiquities Act. It includes 35 House votes, which ties the record for the most votes scored in the House for the fourth time in five years, and 25 votes in the Senate, the second highest number ever included.
 
The good news is that the Scorecard also includes many votes led by environmental allies who stood up for climate change science, clean energy, public lands, and wildlife protections, among other issues. Thanks to President Obama and environmental champions in Congress, virtually all of the legislative attacks on the environment and public health were defeated.
 
In New Jersey, 7 House members and both Senators earned a score of 91 percent or greater on the 2015 Scorecard, while 4 House members earned an abysmal score of 11 percent or less. The average House score in 2015 for New Jersey was 52 percent and the average Senate score was 100 percent.
 
“The 2015 Scorecard shows that the radical leadership in the House and Senate wasted no time pursuing big polluters’ agenda last year, and their environmental assault is well underway in 2016,” said League of Conservation Votes President Gene Karpinski. “Fortunately, we have a growing force of environmental allies, including the president, as well as many in Congress, who are working tirelessly to combat climate change, transition to a clean energy economy and safeguard our air, water, lands and wildlife.”
 
SCORES OF THE NEW JERSEY DELEGATION:
 
Senate:
Senator Menendez, 100%
Senator Booker, 100%
 
House:
Congressman Frelighuysen, 3%
Congressman Garrett, 3%
Congressman Lance, 11%
Congressman LoBiondo, 23%
Congressman MacArthur, 6%
Congressman Norcross, 91%
Congressman Pallone, 100%
Congressman Pascrell, 97%
Congressman Sires, 94%
Congressman Smith, C., 23%
Congresswoman Watson Coleman, 100%
 
For over 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health, and energy issues. For more information, visit http://scorecard.lcv.org.