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Special Interest Groups

Rating Group: Children's Defense Fund

1998 Positions

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

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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