Since 1989, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste has examined roll call votes to help identify which members of Congress have defended taxpayer interests and which have backed down on their promises of fiscal responsibility. The ratings separate the praiseworthy from the profligate by evaluating important tax, spending, transparency and accountability measures. CCAGW applauds those members of Congress who stood up for taxpayers and ignored the temptations of satisfying local or special interests. However, those who supported a big-government agenda should be prepared to face consequences for their spendthrift behavior.

CCAGW’s 2011 Congressional Ratings scored 120 votes in the House and 38 votes in the Senate. By comparison, in 2010, CCAGW rated 46 votes in the House and 62 votes in the Senate. The shift in vote numbers is largely due to an uptick in the number of important spending cut votes in the Republican-lead House and a lack of substantive votes in the Democratic-lead Senate.

CCAGW rates members on a 0 to 100 percent scale. Members are placed in the following categories: 0-19% Hostile; 20-39% Unfriendly; 40-59% Lukewarm; 60-79% Friendly; 80-99% Taxpayer Hero; 100% Taxpayer Super Hero.