Rep. Kendra Horn is Out of Step With Her District

Last month the American Energy Alliance released its 2020 American Energy Scorecard results 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.  

The scorecard is guided by principles such as: 

• 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

This year’s scorecard compiled 19 votes and 2 co-sponsorship decisions from the 116th Congress.  74 House members achieved a 100% score.

While many members failed to achieve a perfect score for various reasons, the most concerning scores came from those representing districts where the energy industry is a major economic driver and job creator.  One of these members is Rep. Kendra Horn, whose Oklahoma 5^th Congressional District covers most of Oklahoma City and some nearby counties.  Oklahoma City is one of the energy capitals of the United States, home to numerous energy companies, including several Fortune 500 firms, supporting tens of thousands of high paying jobs in the city. According to the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, more than a quarter of Oklahoma City GDP comes from the oil and gas industry.

Rep. Horn did not just score poorly.  Her 5% score placed her at the bottom of the body along with extreme anti-energy members like Green New Deal creator Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  Rep. Horn is clearly out of step with her constituents in the 5^th district.  That might pass in New York City, but it’s not OK in the Sooner State.

It also cannot be considered an accident.  AEA notifies all members in advance of votes that will be scored.  A member disagreeing with AEA’s position on one or two votes might be understandable, but Rep. Horn shows a consistent record of votes harming the American energy industry and consumers alike.  Her record of voting against the interests of her constituents should be on the mind of every voter in 2020 as ballots begin to arrive in mailboxes in the coming days.