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Special Interest Groups

Interest Group Ratings

Rating Group: Children's Defense Fund

1997 Positions

State Office District Name Party Rating
AK U.S. House At-Large Don Young Republican 33%
AL U.S. Senate Sr Richard Shelby Republican 27%
AL U.S. Senate Jr Jeff Sessions III Republican 9%
AL U.S. House 4 Robert Aderholt Republican 44%
AL U.S. House 6 Spencer Bachus Republican 44%
AZ U.S. Senate Sr John McCain III Republican 27%
AZ U.S. Senate Jr Jon Kyl Republican 27%
AZ U.S. House 4 Edward Pastor Democratic 89%
CA U.S. Senate Sr Dianne Feinstein Democratic 91%
CA U.S. Senate Jr Barbara Boxer Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 2 Wally Herger, Jr. Republican 44%
CA U.S. House 6 Lynn Woolsey Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 7 George Miller Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 8 Nancy Pelosi Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 13 Pete Stark Democratic 78%
CA U.S. House 14 Anna Eshoo Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 16 Zoe Lofgren Democratic 89%
CA U.S. House 17 Sam Farr Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 24 Elton Gallegly Republican 56%
CA U.S. House 25 Buck McKeon Republican 44%
CA U.S. House 26 David Dreier Republican 44%
CA U.S. House 27 Brad Sherman Democratic 67%
CA U.S. House 28 Howard Berman Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 30 Henry Waxman Democratic 89%
CA U.S. House 31 Xavier Becerra Democratic 78%
CA U.S. House 34 Lucille Roybal-Allard Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 35 Maxine Waters Democratic 89%
CA U.S. House 40 Ed Royce Republican 22%
CA U.S. House 41 Jerry Lewis Republican 44%
CA U.S. House 44 Ken Calvert Republican 44%
CA U.S. House 46 Dana Rohrabacher Republican 22%
CA U.S. House 47 Loretta Sanchez Democratic 78%
CA U.S. House 50 Brian Bilbray Republican 56%
CA U.S. House 51 Bob Filner Democratic 56%
CO U.S. House 1 Diana DeGette Democratic 100%
CO State Board of Education 4 Robert Schaffer Republican 44%
CT U.S. Senate Sr Joe Lieberman Independent Democrat 82%
CT U.S. House 3 Rosa DeLauro Democratic 78%
FL U.S. House 3 Corrine Brown Democratic 100%
FL U.S. House 6 Cliff Stearns Republican 44%
FL U.S. House 7 John Mica Republican 22%
FL U.S. House 10 Bill Young Republican 44%
FL U.S. House 18 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Republican 56%
FL U.S. House 23 Alcee Hastings, Sr. Democratic 89%
FL Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Charles Canady 56%
GA U.S. Senate Sr Saxby Chambliss Republican 56%
GA U.S. House 1 Jack Kingston Republican 33%
GA U.S. House 2 Sanford Bishop, Jr. Democratic 89%
GA U.S. House 5 John Lewis Democratic 100%
GA Governor Nathan Deal Republican 44%
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 100%
HI U.S. Senate Jr Daniel Akaka, Sr. Democratic 100%
HI Governor Neil Abercrombie Democratic 78%
IA U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Grassley Republican 36%
IA U.S. Senate Jr Tom Harkin Democratic 82%
IA U.S. House 3 Leonard Boswell Democratic 78%
IA U.S. House 4 Tom Latham Republican 56%
ID U.S. Senate Sr Mike Crapo Republican 33%
IL U.S. Senate Sr Dick Durbin Democratic 100%
IL U.S. House 1 Bobby Rush Democratic 78%
IL U.S. House 2 Jesse Jackson, Jr. Democratic 89%
IL U.S. House 4 Luis Gutierrez Democratic 56%
IL U.S. House 7 Danny Davis Democratic 89%
IL U.S. House 12 Jerry Costello Democratic 67%
IL U.S. House 16 Don Manzullo Republican 22%
IL U.S. House 19 John Shimkus Republican 56%
IN U.S. Senate Sr Dick Lugar Republican 45%
IN U.S. Senate Jr Daniel Coats Republican 18%
IN U.S. House 1 Pete Visclosky Democratic 100%
IN U.S. House 5 Dan Burton Republican 44%
KS U.S. Senate Sr Pat Roberts Republican 18%
KS U.S. Senate Jr Jerry Moran Republican 33%
KS Governor Sam Brownback Republican 27%
KY U.S. Senate Sr Mitch McConnell Republican 9%
KY U.S. House 1 Ed Whitfield Republican 56%
KY U.S. House 5 Hal Rogers Republican 56%
LA U.S. Senate Sr Mary Landrieu Democratic 91%
MA U.S. Senate Sr John Kerry Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 1 John Olver Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 2 Richard Neal Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 3 Jim McGovern Democratic 89%
MA U.S. House 4 Barney Frank Democratic 67%
MA U.S. House 6 John Tierney Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 7 Ed Markey Democratic 89%
MD U.S. Senate Sr Barbara Mikulski Democratic 100%
MD U.S. Senate Jr Ben Cardin Democratic 78%
MD U.S. House 5 Steny Hoyer Democratic 89%
MD U.S. House 6 Roscoe Bartlett Republican 44%
MD U.S. House 7 Elijah Cummings Democratic 100%
ME U.S. Senate Sr Olympia Snowe Republican 55%
ME U.S. Senate Jr Susan Collins Republican 45%
MI U.S. Senate Sr Carl Levin Democratic 100%
MI U.S. Senate Jr Debbie Stabenow Democratic 89%
MI U.S. House 4 Dave Camp Republican 56%
MI U.S. House 5 Dale Kildee Democratic 78%
MI U.S. House 6 Fred Upton Republican 56%
MI U.S. House 12 Sandy Levin Democratic 89%
MI U.S. House 14 John Conyers, Jr. Democratic 78%
MI U.S. House 15 John Dingell Democratic 78%
MN U.S. House 7 Collin Peterson Democratic/Farmer/Labor 44%
MO U.S. Senate Jr Roy Blunt Republican 22%
MO U.S. House 8 Jo Ann Emerson Republican 56%
MS U.S. Senate Sr Thad Cochran Republican 27%
MS U.S. Senate Jr Roger Wicker Republican 44%
MS U.S. House 2 Bennie Thompson Democratic 100%
MT U.S. Senate Sr Max Baucus Democratic 82%
NA Vice President Joe Biden, Jr. Democratic 91%
NA U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood Republican 33%
NC U.S. Senate Sr Richard Burr Republican 33%
NC U.S. House 3 Walter Jones, Jr. Republican 33%
NC U.S. House 4 David Price Democratic 89%
NC U.S. House 6 Howard Coble Republican 22%
NC U.S. House 7 Mike McIntyre Democratic 67%
NC U.S. House 9 Sue Myrick Republican 56%
NC U.S. House 12 Mel Watt Democratic 89%
ND U.S. Senate Sr Kent Conrad Democratic-NPL 100%
NH U.S. House 2 Charlie Bass Republican 56%
NJ U.S. Senate Sr Frank Lautenberg Democratic 100%
NJ U.S. Senate Jr Bob Menendez Democratic 89%
NJ U.S. House 1 Rob Andrews Democratic 56%
NJ U.S. House 2 Frank LoBiondo Republican 56%
NJ U.S. House 4 Chris Smith Republican 56%
NJ U.S. House 6 Frank Pallone, Jr. Democratic 89%
NJ U.S. House 8 Bill Pascrell, Jr. Democratic 78%
NJ U.S. House 9 Steve Rothman Democratic 78%
NJ U.S. House 11 Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican 56%
NM U.S. Senate Sr Jeff Bingaman Democratic 100%
NV U.S. Senate Sr Harry Reid Democratic 100%
NY U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Schumer Democratic 78%
NY U.S. House 3 Pete King Republican 56%
NY U.S. House 4 Carolyn McCarthy Democratic 78%
NY U.S. House 5 Gary Ackerman Democratic 89%
NY U.S. House 8 Jerry Nadler Democratic 78%
NY U.S. House 10 Ed Towns Democratic 89%
NY U.S. House 12 Nydia Velázquez Democratic 89%
NY U.S. House 14 Carolyn Maloney Democratic 89%
NY U.S. House 15 Charlie Rangel Democratic 89%
NY U.S. House 16 José Serrano Democratic 89%
NY U.S. House 17 Eliot Engel Democratic 67%
NY U.S. House 18 Nita Lowey Democratic 78%
NY U.S. House 22 Maurice Hinchey Democratic 100%
NY U.S. House 28 Louise Slaughter Democratic 100%
OH U.S. Senate Sr Sherrod Brown Democratic 100%
OH U.S. Senate Jr Rob Portman Republican 56%
OH U.S. House 1 Steve Chabot Republican 33%
OH U.S. House 8 John Boehner Republican 44%
OH U.S. House 9 Marcy Kaptur Democratic 56%
OH U.S. House 10 Dennis Kucinich Democratic 67%
OH U.S. House 14 Steve LaTourette Republican 56%
OH Governor John Kasich Republican 56%
OH State Senate 28 Thomas Sawyer Democratic 100%
OH Attorney General Michael DeWine Republican 45%
OK U.S. Senate Sr Jim Inhofe Republican 9%
OK U.S. Senate Jr Thomas Coburn Republican 22%
OK U.S. House 3 Frank Lucas Republican 56%
OR U.S. Senate Sr Ron Wyden Democratic 100%
OR U.S. House 3 Earl Blumenauer Democratic 78%
OR U.S. House 4 Peter DeFazio Democratic 78%
PA U.S. House 2 Chaka Fattah, Sr. Democratic 100%
PA U.S. House 14 Mike Doyle, Jr. Democratic 89%
PA U.S. House 16 Joe Pitts Republican 56%
PA U.S. House 17 Thomas Holden Democratic 78%
RI U.S. Senate Sr Jack Reed Democratic 100%
SC U.S. Senate Sr Lindsey Graham Republican 33%
SC U.S. House 6 Jim Clyburn Democratic 100%
SD U.S. Senate Sr Timothy Johnson Democratic 100%
SD U.S. Senate Jr John Thune Republican 56%
TN U.S. House 2 John Duncan, Jr. Republican 67%
TX U.S. Senate Sr Kay Hutchison Republican 27%
TX U.S. House 3 Sam Johnson Republican 33%
TX U.S. House 4 Ralph Hall Republican 67%
TX U.S. House 6 Joe Barton Republican 22%
TX U.S. House 8 Kevin Brady Republican 33%
TX U.S. House 12 Kay Granger Republican 56%
TX U.S. House 13 Mac Thornberry Republican 44%
TX U.S. House 14 Ron Paul Republican 22%
TX U.S. House 15 Rubén Hinojosa-Flores, Sr. Democratic 89%
TX U.S. House 16 Silvestre Reyes Democratic 67%
TX U.S. House 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democratic 100%
TX U.S. House 21 Lamar Smith Republican 56%
TX U.S. House 25 Lloyd Doggett Democratic 100%
TX U.S. House 29 Gene Green Democratic 78%
TX U.S. House 30 Eddie Johnson Democratic 89%
TX U.S. House 32 Pete Sessions Republican 44%
UT U.S. Senate Sr Orrin Hatch Republican 45%
VA U.S. House 3 Bobby Scott Democratic 89%
VA U.S. House 6 Bob Goodlatte Republican 33%
VA U.S. House 8 Jim Moran, Jr. Democratic 78%
VA U.S. House 10 Frank Wolf Republican 56%
VT U.S. Senate Sr Patrick Leahy Democratic 100%
VT U.S. Senate Jr Bernie Sanders Independent 89%
WA U.S. Senate Sr Patty Murray Democratic 100%
WA U.S. House 4 Richard Hastings Republican 33%
WA U.S. House 6 Norm Dicks Democratic 78%
WA U.S. House 7 Jim McDermott Democratic 78%
WA U.S. House 9 Adam Smith Democratic 78%
WI U.S. Senate Sr Herb Kohl Democratic 82%
WI U.S. House 3 Ron Kind Democratic 78%
WI U.S. House 5 Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. Republican 44%
WI U.S. House 6 Tom Petri Republican 67%
WI Mayor At-Large Tom Barrett Democratic 100%
WV U.S. Senate Sr Jay Rockefeller IV Democratic 91%
WV U.S. House 3 Nick Rahall II Democratic 89%
WY U.S. Senate Sr Mike Enzi Republican 27%
Edmond Spencer Abraham 36%
Wayne Allard 36%
Thomas Allen 100%
William Archer 33%
Richard Armey 33%
John Ashcroft 9%
Henry Scott Baesler 44%
Richard Hugh Baker 44%
John Baldacci 89%
Cass Ballenger 33%
James Barcia 78%
Robert Barr, Jr. 33%
William Barrett 56%
Herbert Bateman 33%
Bob Bennett 36%
Kenneth Bentsen, Jr. 78%
Douglas Bereuter 56%
Marion Berry 89%
Michael Bilirakis 56%
Rod Blagojevich 78%
Thomas Bliley, Jr. 44%
Sherwood Boehlert 56%
Kit Bond 36%
Henry Bonilla 33%
David Edward Bonior 100%
Robert Borski, Jr. 67%
Rick Boucher 67%
Allen Boyd, Jr. 67%
Carol Moseley Braun 91%
John Breaux 64%
George Brown, Jr. 100%
Richard Bryan 91%
Ed Bryant 33%
Dale Bumpers 100%
Jim Bunning 56%
Conrad Burns 27%
Steve Buyer 44%
Robert Byrd 82%
Herbert Callahan 44%
Ben Campbell 45%
Thomas Campbell 78%
Chris Cannon 44%
Julia Carson 100%
Mike Castle 56%
John Chafee 82%
Helen Chenoweth 33%
Jon Lynn Christensen 56%
William Clay, Sr. 44%
Eva Clayton 100%
Joseph Maxwell Cleland 73%
Robert Clement 78%
Mac Collins 33%
Larry Combest 33%
Gary Condit 67%
Merrill Cook 56%
John Cooksey 56%
Paul Coverdell 27%
Christopher Cox 33%
William Coyne 100%
Larry Craig 27%
Robert Cramer 56%
Philip Crane 33%
Barbara Cubin 33%
Randall Cunningham 56%
Alfonse D'Amato 73%
Patsy Ann Danner 67%
Thomas Daschle 100%
James Davis 89%
Thomas Davis III 56%
Bill Delahunt 89%
Thomas DeLay 44%
Peter Deutsch 78%
Lincoln Diaz-Balart 56%
Jay Dickey 33%
Julian Dixon 100%
Chris Dodd 100%
Pete Domenici, Jr. 27%
Calvin Dooley 67%
John Doolittle 22%
Byron Dorgan 100%
Jennifer Dunn 56%
Chet Edwards 67%
Vern Ehlers 89%
Bob Ehrlich, Jr. 44%
Philip English 56%
John Ensign 67%
Bob Etheridge 67%
Lane Evans 100%
Terry Everett 44%
Thomas Ewing 56%
Duncan McLauchlin Faircloth 18%
Harris Fawell 56%
Victor Fazio 100%
Russ Feingold 100%
Thomas Foglietta 100%
Mark Foley 56%
Michael Patrick Forbes 44%
Harold Ford, Jr. 100%
Wendell Ford 64%
Tillie Fowler 56%
Jon David Fox 56%
Robert Franks 67%
William Frist 27%
Jonas Frost III 78%
Elizabeth Furse 100%
John Ganske 56%
Sam Gejdenson 100%
George Gekas 56%
Richard Andrew Gephardt 78%
Jim Gibbons 56%
Wayne Gilchrest 56%
Paul Gillmor 44%
Benjamin Gilman 56%
Newt Gingrich 11%
John Glenn 100%
Henry Gonzalez 67%
Virgil Goode, Jr. 33%
William Goodling 44%
Bart Gordon 67%
Slade Gorton 18%
Porter Goss 56%
Daniel Graham 82%
William Phillip Gramm 18%
Rodney Grams 18%
James Greenwood 56%
Judd Gregg 27%
Gilbert Gutknecht 44%
Charles Hagel 27%
Tony Hall 78%
Lee Hamilton 78%
James Hansen 44%
Jane Harman 67%
J. Dennis Hastert 56%
J.D. Hayworth, Jr. 56%
Joel Hefley 33%
W.G. Hefner 44%
Jesse Helms 9%
Rick Hill 44%
Van Hilleary 22%
Earl Hilliard, Jr. 89%
David Lee Hobson 56%
Pete Hoekstra 33%
Ernest Hollings 91%
Darlene Hooley 78%
Stephen Horn 56%
John Nathan Hostettler 56%
Amory Houghton, Jr. 33%
Kenny Hulshof 56%
Duncan Hunter 44%
William Hutchinson 44%
Y. Tim Hutchinson 18%
Henry Hyde 56%
Bob Inglis, Sr. 33%
Ernest Istook, Jr. 22%
William Jefferson 100%
James Merrill Jeffords 73%
William Lewis Jenkins 56%
Christopher John 56%
Jay Johnson 89%
Nancy Johnson 56%
Paul Kanjorski 89%
Sue Kelly 56%
Dirk Kempthorne 36%
Edward Kennedy, Sr. 100%
Joseph Kennedy II 89%
Patrick Kennedy 89%
Barbara Bailey Kennelly 100%
Bob Kerrey 91%
Carolyn Kilpatrick 89%
Jay Kim 56%
Gerald Kleczka 78%
Ronald Klink 89%
Scott Klug 44%
Joseph Knollenberg 44%
James Kolbe 56%
John LaFalce 100%
Nicholas Lampson 89%
Tom Lantos 100%
Stephen Largent 22%
Rick Lazio 56%
James Leach 44%
Ron Lewis 56%
John Linder 44%
William Lipinski 67%
Robert Livingston 44%
Trent Lott, Sr. 27%
William Luther 78%
Connie Mack 36%
James Maloney 67%
Thomas Manton 78%
Matthew Martinez 100%
Frank Mascara 89%
Robert Matsui 78%
Karen McCarthy 100%
Bill McCollum 44%
James McCrery III 44%
Joseph McDade 56%
Paul McHale 78%
John McHugh 56%
Scott McInnis 44%
David McIntosh 22%
Cynthia Ann McKinney 67%
Michael McNulty 78%
Martin Meehan 100%
Carrie Meek 100%
Jack Metcalf 44%
Juanita Millender-McDonald 100%
Dan Miller 44%
David Minge 89%
Patsy Takemoto Mink 78%
John Moakley 78%
Alan Mollohan 89%
Constance Morella 78%
Daniel Patrick Moynihan 82%
Frank Murkowski 27%
Jack Murtha 89%
George Nethercutt, Jr. 44%
Mark Neumann 33%
Robert William Ney 56%
Don Nickles 27%
Anne Northup 44%
Charles Norwood, Jr. 33%
James Nussle 44%
Jim Oberstar 89%
Dave Obey 89%
Solomon Ortiz, Sr. 78%
Major Owens 89%
Michael Oxley 44%
Ronald Packard 44%
Michael Pappas 56%
Paul Michael Parker 44%
William Paxon 33%
Donald Payne 89%
Edward Pease 56%
John Peterson 56%
Charles Pickering, Jr. 44%
Owen Pickett 78%
Richard Pombo 22%
Earl Pomeroy 100%
John Edward Porter 56%
Glenn Poshard 78%
Deborah Pryce 56%
Jack Quinn 44%
George Radanovich 33%
James Ramstad 56%
William Redmond 100%
Ralph Regula 56%
Frank Duncan Riggs 56%
Bob Riley 33%
Lynn Nancy Rivers 100%
Charles Robb 82%
Ciro Rodriguez 78%
Timothy Roemer 67%
James Rogan 56%
William Roth, Jr. 36%
Marge Roukema 67%
Jim Ryun 22%
Martin Olav Sabo 100%
Matthew Salmon 33%
Max Sandlin, Jr. 89%
Mark Sanford, Jr. 33%
Rick Santorum 27%
Paul Sarbanes 100%
H. James Saxton 56%
Joe Scarborough 22%
Daniel Schaefer 44%
John Shadegg 44%
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. 56%
Christopher Shays 56%
E.G. Shuster 56%
Norman Sisisky 67%
David Skaggs 100%
Joseph Skeen 44%
Ike Skelton 44%
Gordon Smith 45%
Linda Smith 44%
Nick Smith 56%
Robert Smith 33%
Bob Smith 9%
Vincent Snowbarger 22%
Vic Snyder 100%
Gerald B.H. Solomon 56%
Mark Souder 56%
Arlen Specter 91%
Floyd Spence 56%
John Spratt, Jr. 89%
Charles Stenholm 67%
Ted Stevens 27%
Louis Stokes 89%
Ted Strickland 100%
Robert Stump 33%
Bart Stupak 89%
John Sununu 56%
James Talent 33%
John Tanner 67%
Ellen Tauscher 78%
William Tauzin 56%
Charles Taylor 44%
Gene Taylor 33%
Craig Thomas 27%
William Thomas 56%
Fred Thompson 27%
Karen Thurman 100%
Strom Thurmond 18%
Todd Tiahrt 22%
Esteban Edward Torres 100%
Robert Torricelli 100%
James Traficant, Jr. 56%
James Turner 78%
Bruce Vento 100%
James Walsh 56%
Zach Wamp 33%
John Warner 27%
Wesley Watkins 44%
Julius Caesar Watts, Jr. 67%
David Weldon 22%
W. Curtis Weldon 44%
Gerald Weller 56%
Paul Wellstone 91%
Robert Wexler 78%
Robert Weygand 100%
Rick White 44%
Robert Wise, Jr. 100%
Albert Wynn 100%
Sidney Yates 78%

How to Interpret these Evaluations

Keep in mind that ratings done by special interest groups often do not represent a non-partisan stance. In addition, some groups select votes that tend to favor members of one political party over another, rather than choosing votes based solely on issues concerns. Nevertheless, they can be invaluable in showing where an incumbent has stood on a series of votes in the past one or two years, especially when ratings by groups on all sides of an issue are compared. Website links, if available, and descriptions of the organizations offering performance evaluations are accessible by clicking on the name of the group.

Most performance evaluations are displayed in a percentage format. However, some organizations present their ratings in the form of a letter grade or endorsement based on voting records, interviews, survey results and/or sources of campaign funding. For consistency and ease in understanding, Project Vote Smart converts all scores into a percentage when possible. Please visit the group's website or call 1-888-VOTESMART for more specific information.

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