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Special Interest Groups

Rating Group: Children's Defense Fund

1998 Positions

State Office District Name Party Rating
AK U.S. House At-Large Don Young Republican 63%
AL U.S. Senate Sr Richard Shelby Republican 33%
AL U.S. Senate Jr Jeff Sessions III Republican 0%
AL U.S. House 4 Robert Aderholt Republican 63%
AL U.S. House 6 Spencer Bachus Republican 38%
AZ U.S. Senate Sr John McCain III Republican 44%
AZ U.S. House 5 Matthew Salmon Republican 38%
AZ U.S. House 7 Ed Pastor Democratic 100%
CA U.S. Senate Sr Dianne Feinstein Democratic 100%
CA U.S. Senate Jr Barbara Boxer Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 11 George Miller Democratic 88%
CA U.S. House 12 Nancy Pelosi Democratic 88%
CA U.S. House 13 Barbara Lee Democratic 83%
CA U.S. House 18 Anna Eshoo Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 19 Zoe Lofgren Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 20 Sam Farr Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 24 Lois Capps Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 25 Buck McKeon Republican 63%
CA U.S. House 30 Brad Sherman Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 33 Henry Waxman Democratic 88%
CA U.S. House 34 Xavier Becerra Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 39 Ed Royce Republican 25%
CA U.S. House 40 Lucille Roybal-Allard Democratic 75%
CA U.S. House 42 Ken Calvert Republican 75%
CA U.S. House 43 Maxine Waters Democratic 88%
CA U.S. House 46 Loretta Sanchez Democratic 100%
CA U.S. House 48 Dana Rohrabacher Republican 38%
CA Mayor At-Large Bob Filner Democratic 75%
CO U.S. House 1 Diana DeGette Democratic 88%
CO State Board of Education 4 Robert Schaffer Republican 50%
CT U.S. House 3 Rosa DeLauro Democratic 88%
FL U.S. House 5 Corrine Brown Democratic 88%
FL U.S. House 7 John Mica Republican 50%
FL U.S. House 13 Bill Young Republican 50%
FL U.S. House 20 Alcee Hastings, Sr. Democratic 75%
FL U.S. House 27 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Republican 38%
FL Justice of the Supreme Court Charles Canady 63%
GA U.S. Senate Sr Saxby Chambliss Republican 63%
GA U.S. House 1 Jack Kingston Republican 63%
GA U.S. House 2 Sanford Bishop, Jr. Democratic 100%
GA U.S. House 5 John Lewis Democratic 50%
GA Governor Nathan Deal Republican 25%
HI Governor Neil Abercrombie Democratic 100%
IA U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Grassley Republican 33%
IA U.S. Senate Jr Tom Harkin Democratic 100%
IA U.S. House 3 Tom Latham Republican 63%
ID U.S. Senate Sr Mike Crapo Republican 50%
IL U.S. Senate Sr Dick Durbin Democratic 100%
IL U.S. House 1 Bobby Rush Democratic 88%
IL U.S. House 4 Luis Gutierrez Democratic 88%
IL U.S. House 7 Danny Davis Democratic 100%
IL U.S. House 15 John Shimkus Republican 63%
IN U.S. House 1 Pete Visclosky Democratic 100%
KS U.S. Senate Sr Pat Roberts Republican 22%
KS U.S. Senate Jr Jerry Moran Republican 63%
KS Governor Sam Brownback Republican 22%
KY U.S. Senate Sr Mitch McConnell Republican 33%
KY U.S. House 1 Ed Whitfield Republican 50%
KY U.S. House 5 Hal Rogers Republican 75%
LA U.S. Senate Sr Mary Landrieu Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 1 Richard Neal Democratic 88%
MA U.S. House 2 Jim McGovern Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 5 Ed Markey Democratic 100%
MA U.S. House 6 John Tierney Democratic 100%
MD U.S. Senate Sr Barbara Mikulski Democratic 89%
MD U.S. Senate Jr Ben Cardin Democratic 88%
MD U.S. House 5 Steny Hoyer Democratic 100%
MD U.S. House 7 Elijah Cummings Democratic 100%
ME U.S. Senate Sr Susan Collins Republican 56%
MI U.S. Senate Sr Carl Levin Democratic 89%
MI U.S. Senate Jr Debbie Stabenow Democratic 88%
MI U.S. House 4 Dave Camp Republican 63%
MI U.S. House 6 Fred Upton Republican 63%
MI U.S. House 9 Sandy Levin Democratic 88%
MI U.S. House 12 John Dingell Democratic 63%
MI U.S. House 13 John Conyers, Jr. Democratic 88%
MN U.S. House 7 Collin Peterson Democratic/Farmer/Labor 88%
MO U.S. Senate Jr Roy Blunt Republican 50%
MS U.S. Senate Sr Thad Cochran Republican 44%
MS U.S. Senate Jr Roger Wicker Republican 75%
MS U.S. House 2 Bennie Thompson Democratic 88%
MT U.S. Senate Sr Max Baucus Democratic 89%
NA Vice President Joe Biden, Jr. Democratic 100%
NA U.S. Secretary of Defense Charles Hagel Republican 22%
NA U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Democratic 100%
NC U.S. Senate Sr Richard Burr Republican 38%
NC U.S. House 3 Walter Jones, Jr. Republican 50%
NC U.S. House 4 David Price Democratic 88%
NC U.S. House 6 Howard Coble Republican 25%
NC U.S. House 7 Mike McIntyre Democratic 75%
NC U.S. House 12 Mel Watt Democratic 88%
NJ U.S. Senate Sr Frank Lautenberg Democratic 100%
NJ U.S. Senate Jr Bob Menendez Democratic 75%
NJ U.S. House 1 Rob Andrews Democratic 88%
NJ U.S. House 2 Frank LoBiondo Republican 88%
NJ U.S. House 4 Chris Smith Republican 75%
NJ U.S. House 6 Frank Pallone, Jr. Democratic 100%
NJ U.S. House 9 Bill Pascrell, Jr. Democratic 88%
NJ U.S. House 11 Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican 50%
NV U.S. Senate Sr Harry Reid Democratic 89%
NY U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Schumer Democratic 75%
NY U.S. House 2 Pete King Republican 50%
NY U.S. House 4 Carolyn McCarthy Democratic 88%
NY U.S. House 5 Gregory Meeks Democratic 88%
NY U.S. House 7 Nydia Velázquez Democratic 88%
NY U.S. House 10 Jerry Nadler Democratic 88%
NY U.S. House 12 Carolyn Maloney Democratic 75%
NY U.S. House 13 Charlie Rangel Democratic 75%
NY U.S. House 15 José Serrano Democratic 100%
NY U.S. House 16 Eliot Engel Democratic 75%
NY U.S. House 17 Nita Lowey Democratic 75%
NY U.S. House 25 Louise Slaughter Democratic 100%
OH U.S. Senate Sr Sherrod Brown Democratic 100%
OH U.S. Senate Jr Rob Portman Republican 50%
OH U.S. House 1 Steve Chabot Republican 38%
OH U.S. House 8 John Boehner Republican 63%
OH U.S. House 9 Marcy Kaptur Democratic 88%
OH Governor John Kasich Republican 63%
OH State Senate 28 Thomas Sawyer Democratic 100%
OH Attorney General Michael DeWine Republican 33%
OK U.S. Senate Sr Jim Inhofe Republican 0%
OK U.S. Senate Jr Thomas Coburn Republican 25%
OK U.S. House 3 Frank Lucas Republican 63%
OR U.S. Senate Sr Ron Wyden Democratic 100%
OR U.S. House 3 Earl Blumenauer Democratic 75%
OR U.S. House 4 Peter DeFazio Democratic 88%
PA U.S. House 1 Bob Brady Democratic 100%
PA U.S. House 2 Chaka Fattah, Sr. Democratic 88%
PA U.S. House 14 Mike Doyle, Jr. Democratic 88%
PA U.S. House 16 Joe Pitts Republican 63%
RI U.S. Senate Sr Jack Reed Democratic 100%
SC U.S. Senate Sr Lindsey Graham Republican 50%
SC U.S. House 1 Mark Sanford, Jr. Republican 25%
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 63%
TN U.S. House 2 John Duncan, Jr. Republican 50%
TX U.S. House 3 Sam Johnson Republican 38%
TX U.S. House 4 Ralph Hall Republican 88%
TX U.S. House 6 Joe Barton Republican 38%
TX U.S. House 8 Kevin Brady Republican 38%
TX U.S. House 12 Kay Granger Republican 63%
TX U.S. House 13 Mac Thornberry Republican 63%
TX U.S. House 15 Rubén Hinojosa, Sr. Democratic 100%
TX U.S. House 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democratic 100%
TX U.S. House 21 Lamar Smith Republican 75%
TX U.S. House 29 Gene Green Democratic 88%
TX U.S. House 30 Eddie Johnson Democratic 100%
TX U.S. House 32 Pete Sessions Republican 50%
TX U.S. House 35 Lloyd Doggett Democratic 75%
UT U.S. Senate Sr Orrin Hatch Republican 56%
VA U.S. House 3 Bobby Scott Democratic 100%
VA U.S. House 6 Bob Goodlatte Republican 50%
VA U.S. House 8 Jim Moran, Jr. Democratic 88%
VA U.S. House 10 Frank Wolf Republican 50%
VT U.S. Senate Sr Patrick Leahy Democratic 100%
VT U.S. Senate Jr Bernie Sanders Independent 100%
WA U.S. Senate Sr Patty Murray Democratic 100%
WA U.S. House 4 Doc Hastings Republican 63%
WA U.S. House 7 Jim McDermott Democratic 75%
WA U.S. House 9 Adam Smith Democratic 75%
WI U.S. House 3 Ron Kind Democratic 88%
WI U.S. House 5 Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. Republican 25%
WI U.S. House 6 Tom Petri Republican 50%
WI Mayor At-Large Tom Barrett Democratic 75%
WV U.S. Senate Sr Jay Rockefeller IV Democratic 100%
WV U.S. House 3 Nick Rahall II Democratic 100%
WY U.S. Senate Sr Mike Enzi Republican 11%
Edmond Spencer Abraham 44%
Gary Ackerman 75%
Daniel Akaka, Sr. 100%
Wayne Allard 22%
Thomas Allen 100%
Bill Archer 50%
Richard Armey 63%
John Ashcroft 11%
Richard Hugh Baker 50%
John Baldacci 100%
Cass Ballenger 50%
James Barcia 88%
Robert Barr, Jr. 25%
Bill Barrett 63%
Roscoe Bartlett 50%
Charlie Bass 50%
Herbert Bateman 50%
Bob Bennett 56%
Kenneth Bentsen, Jr. 88%
Douglas Bereuter 63%
Howard Berman 100%
Marion Berry 88%
Brian Bilbray 63%
Michael Bilirakis 38%
Jeff Bingaman 100%
Rod Blagojevich 75%
Thomas Bliley, Jr. 50%
Sherwood Boehlert 75%
Kit Bond 56%
Henry Bonilla 63%
David Edward Bonior 100%
Mary Bono Mack 67%
Robert Borski, Jr. 75%
Leonard Boswell 88%
Rick Boucher 75%
Allen Boyd, Jr. 75%
John Breaux 100%
George Brown, Jr. 100%
Richard Bryan 100%
Ed Bryant 63%
Jim Bunning 63%
Conrad Burns 44%
Dan Burton 63%
Steve Buyer 63%
Robert Byrd 89%
Herbert Callahan 63%
Ben Campbell 67%
Thomas Campbell 75%
Chris Cannon 50%
Julia Carson 88%
Mike Castle 50%
John Chafee 67%
Helen Chenoweth-Hage 63%
William Clay, Sr. 88%
Eva Clayton 88%
Joseph Maxwell Cleland 100%
Robert Clement 100%
Michael Collins 25%
Larry Combest 63%
Gary Condit 88%
Kent Conrad 100%
Merrill Cook 38%
John Cooksey 63%
Jerry Costello 75%
Paul Coverdell 44%
Christopher Cox 63%
William Coyne 100%
Larry Craig 33%
Robert Cramer 88%
Philip Crane 25%
Barbara Cubin 63%
Randall Cunningham 63%
Patsy Ann Danner 63%
Thomas Daschle 100%
James Davis 100%
Thomas Davis III 88%
Bill Delahunt 100%
Thomas DeLay 38%
Peter Deutsch 88%
Lincoln Diaz-Balart 63%
Jay Dickey 75%
Norm Dicks 100%
Julian Dixon 88%
Chris Dodd 100%
Pete Domenici, Jr. 44%
Calvin Dooley 100%
John Doolittle 25%
Byron Dorgan 100%
David Dreier 50%
Jennifer Dunn 63%
Chet Edwards 100%
Vern Ehlers 63%
Bob Ehrlich, Jr. 50%
Jo Ann Emerson 75%
Philip English 75%
Bob Etheridge 88%
Lane Evans 75%
Terry Everett 63%
Thomas Ewing 63%
Russ Feingold 78%
Mark Foley 63%
Michael Patrick Forbes 75%
Harold Ford, Jr. 75%
Vito Fossella, Jr. 63%
Tillie Fowler 63%
Barney Frank 88%
Robert Franks 75%
William Frist 22%
Jonas Frost III 88%
Elton Gallegly 63%
John Ganske 50%
Sam Gejdenson 88%
George Gekas 63%
Richard Andrew Gephardt 75%
Jim Gibbons 63%
Wayne Gilchrest 75%
Paul Gillmor 75%
Benjamin Gilman 100%
Newt Gingrich 13%
Virgil Goode, Jr. 38%
William Goodling 63%
Bart Gordon 88%
Slade Gorton 33%
Porter Goss 38%
Daniel Graham 89%
William Phillip Gramm 11%
Rodney Grams 11%
James Greenwood 63%
Judd Gregg 22%
Gilbert Gutknecht 63%
Tony Hall 100%
James Hansen 38%
J. Dennis Hastert 63%
J.D. Hayworth, Jr. 63%
Joel Hefley 38%
Jesse Helms 0%
Wally Herger, Jr. 50%
Rick Hill 63%
Van Hilleary 50%
Earl Hilliard, Jr. 88%
Maurice Hinchey 100%
David Lee Hobson 63%
Pete Hoekstra 50%
Thomas Holden 63%
Ernest Hollings 78%
Darlene Hooley 75%
Stephen Horn 63%
John Nathan Hostettler 38%
Amory Houghton, Jr. 75%
Kenny Hulshof 75%
Duncan Hunter 50%
Asa Hutchinson 75%
Y. Tim Hutchinson 22%
Kay Hutchison 56%
Henry Hyde 50%
Daniel Inouye 89%
Ernest Istook, Jr. 25%
Jesse Jackson, Jr. 100%
William Jefferson 63%
James Merrill Jeffords 78%
William Lewis Jenkins 63%
Christopher John 63%
Nancy Johnson 75%
Paul Kanjorski 75%
Sue Kelly 75%
Edward Kennedy, Sr. 100%
Patrick Kennedy 100%
Bob Kerrey 89%
Dale Kildee 100%
Carolyn Kilpatrick 50%
Gerald Kleczka 88%
Ronald Klink 50%
Joseph Knollenberg 63%
Herb Kohl 89%
James Kolbe 63%
Dennis Kucinich 88%
Jon Kyl 11%
John LaFalce 88%
Ray LaHood 50%
Nicholas Lampson 100%
Tom Lantos 100%
Stephen Largent 38%
Steve LaTourette 75%
Rick Lazio 75%
James Leach 88%
Jerry Lewis 63%
Ron Lewis 63%
Joe Lieberman 100%
John Linder 63%
William Lipinski 75%
Robert Livingston 63%
Trent Lott, Sr. 22%
Dick Lugar 11%
William Luther 75%
Connie Mack 22%
James Maloney 63%
Don Manzullo 25%
Matthew Martinez 75%
Frank Mascara 88%
Robert Matsui 100%
Karen McCarthy 75%
Bill McCollum 63%
James McCrery III 63%
John McHugh 88%
Scott McInnis 63%
David McIntosh 38%
Cynthia Ann McKinney 100%
Michael McNulty 88%
Martin Meehan 88%
Carrie Meek 88%
Jack Metcalf 63%
Juanita Millender-McDonald 63%
Dan Miller 25%
David Minge 75%
Patsy Takemoto Mink 100%
John Moakley 63%
Alan Mollohan 75%
Constance Morella 100%
Patrick Moynihan 89%
Frank Murkowski 33%
Jack Murtha 88%
Sue Myrick 50%
George Nethercutt, Jr. 63%
Robert William Ney 63%
Don Nickles 0%
Anne Northup 63%
Charles Norwood, Jr. 50%
James Nussle 75%
Jim Oberstar 88%
Dave Obey 100%
John Olver 100%
Solomon Ortiz, Sr. 75%
Major Owens 75%
Michael Oxley 63%
Ronald Packard 63%
Ron Paul 0%
Donald Payne 88%
Edward Pease 75%
John Peterson 63%
Charles Pickering, Jr. 50%
Owen Pickett 100%
Richard Pombo 63%
Earl Pomeroy 75%
John Edward Porter 63%
Deborah Pryce 25%
Jack Quinn 75%
George Radanovich 50%
James Ramstad 88%
Ralph Regula 63%
Silvestre Reyes 75%
Bob Riley 63%
Lynn Nancy Rivers 75%
Charles Robb 100%
Ciro Rodriguez 100%
Timothy Roemer 88%
James Rogan 63%
William Roth, Jr. 44%
Steve Rothman 75%
Marge Roukema 38%
Jim Ryun 50%
Martin Olav Sabo 100%
Max Sandlin, Jr. 100%
Rick Santorum 22%
Paul Sarbanes 100%
Jim Saxton 38%
Joe Scarborough 25%
John Shadegg 50%
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. 75%
Christopher Shays 63%
E.G. Shuster 63%
Norman Sisisky 100%
Joseph Skeen 75%
Ike Skelton 100%
Gordon Smith 44%
Nick Smith 50%
Bob Smith 11%
Olympia Snowe 67%
Vic Snyder 88%
Mark Souder 75%
Arlen Specter 78%
Floyd Spence 63%
John Spratt, Jr. 75%
Pete Stark 88%
Cliff Stearns 25%
Charles Stenholm 100%
Ted Stevens 56%
Ted Strickland 88%
Bob Stump 25%
Bart Stupak 63%
John Sununu 50%
James Talent 50%
John Tanner 75%
Ellen Tauscher 88%
William Tauzin 50%
Charles Taylor 50%
Gene Taylor 50%
Craig Thomas 22%
William Thomas 50%
Fred Thompson 22%
Karen Thurman 75%
Strom Thurmond 22%
Todd Tiahrt 38%
Robert Torricelli 100%
Ed Towns 63%
James Traficant, Jr. 88%
James Turner 100%
Bruce Vento 100%
James Walsh 63%
Zach Wamp 50%
John Warner 67%
Wesley Watkins 63%
Julius Caesar Watts, Jr. 63%
David Weldon 38%
W. Curtis Weldon 63%
Gerald Weller 75%
Paul Wellstone 89%
Robert Wexler 75%
Bob Weygand 100%
Heather Wilson 60%
Bob Wise, Jr. 88%
Lynn Woolsey 100%
Albert Wynn 100%

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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