American Energy Alliance 2020 House of Representatives Scorecard

This week the American Energy Alliance released its American Energy Scorecard for the House of Representatives.  The AEA scorecard scores voting and co-sponsorship decisions on legislation affecting energy and environmental policy, educating voters on how their representatives’ vote and holding members accountable for those decisions.  This year’s scorecard compiles 18 votes and 2 co-sponsorship decisions from the 116^th Congress.  74 House members achieved a 100% score.

The American Energy Scorecard is guided by the following core principles:

• Promoting affordable, abundant, and reliable energy
• Expanding economic opportunity and prosperity, particularly for working families and those on fixed incomes
• Giving Americans, not Washington bureaucrats, the power to make their own energy choices
• Encouraging private sector innovation and entrepreneurship
• Advancing market-oriented energy and environment policies
• Reducing the role of government in energy markets
• Eliminating the subsidies, mandates, and special interest giveaways that lead to higher energy costs

All members are notified in advance that AEA plans to score an upcoming vote. The scored votes in the 116^th Congress cover a range of energy and environmental policy issues:  

• Six votes pertained to efforts to restrict or prevent offshore oil and gas development.  
• Three votes sought to eliminate funding for UN anti-affordable energy programs.  
• Three votes sought to restrain regulatory overreach initiated by the Obama administration.  
• Three more votes opposed efforts to restrict or ban resource development (the Pebble Mine in Alaska, drilling in the Alaska coastal plain, and permanent funding for purchases of additional federal land).  
• Two votes pertained to the destructive Paris climate treaty.  
• A final individual vote opposed a “transportation bill” that was packed with green energy subsidies and preferences.

Two co-sponsorship decisions were scored, in both cases the legislation was scored against (meaning not cosponsoring scored positively).  These were legislation to rejoin the Paris climate treaty and a resolution supporting a Green New Deal.  The goals of both are to raise energy costs and restrict freedom in energy decisions in the US.

While AEA applauds all the members who achieved 100%, we must also note those members whose voting record was especially harmful for their districts.  Reps. Conor Lamb (6% score), T.J. Cox (0% score), Xochitl Torres-Small (0% score), and Matt Cartwright (0% score) all represent major energy producing districts.  Yet their scores don’t reflect a member working for their local industry.  Likewise, Reps. Lizzie Fletcher (39% score), Kendra Horn (0% score), Colin Allred (11%), and Ben McAdams (6%) represent urban areas where energy producers are major employers.  It is important for voters in these districts who appreciate affordable energy and free choices know the poor records of their representatives.

The full list of American Energy Champions:

For more information on how these issues impact the election check out AEA’s Vote Energy 2020 election hub.