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Special Interest Groups

Rating Group: American Civil Liberties Union

1996 Positions

State Office District Name Party Rating
HI Governor Neil Abercrombie Democratic 94%
Edmond Spencer Abraham 17%
Gary Ackerman 69%
Daniel Akaka, Sr. 44%
Wayne Allard 12%
NJ U.S. House 1 Rob Andrews Democratic 53%
Bill Archer 0%
Richard Armey 0%
John Ashcroft 22%
AL U.S. House 6 Spencer Bachus Republican 0%
Henry Scott Baesler 38%
Richard Hugh Baker 0%
William Baker 17%
John Baldacci 56%
Cass Ballenger 0%
James Barcia 50%
Robert Barr, Jr. 0%
WI Mayor At-Large Tom Barrett Democratic 69%
Bill Barrett 0%
Roscoe Bartlett 19%
TX U.S. House 6 Joe Barton Republican 6%
Charlie Bass 12%
Herbert Bateman 7%
MT U.S. Senate Sr Max Baucus Democratic 33%
CA U.S. House 34 Xavier Becerra Democratic 100%
Anthony Beilenson 92%
Bob Bennett 24%
Kenneth Bentsen, Jr. 50%
Douglas Bereuter 6%
Howard Berman 77%
Tom Bevill 25%
NA Vice President Joe Biden, Jr. Democratic 39%
Brian Bilbray 12%
Michael Bilirakis 0%
Jeff Bingaman 44%
GA U.S. House 2 Sanford Bishop, Jr. Democratic 50%
Thomas Bliley, Jr. 0%
OR U.S. House 3 Earl Blumenauer Democratic 75%
Peter Blute 17%
Sherwood Boehlert 27%
OH U.S. House 8 John Boehner Republican 6%
Kit Bond 11%
Henry Bonilla 25%
David Edward Bonior 81%
Sonny Bono 0%
Robert Borski, Jr. 56%
Rick Boucher 71%
CA U.S. Senate Jr Barbara Boxer Democratic 59%
Bill Bradley 83%
John Breaux 17%
FL U.S. House 5 Corrine Brown Democratic 75%
George Brown, Jr. 88%
Hank Brown 8%
OH U.S. Senate Sr Sherrod Brown Democratic 88%
KS Governor Sam Brownback Republican 20%
Richard Bryan 35%
Ed Bryant 6%
John Bryant 83%
Dale Bumpers 50%
Jim Bunn 8%
Jim Bunning 12%
Conrad Burns 22%
NC U.S. Senate Sr Richard Burr Republican 6%
Dan Burton 6%
Steve Buyer 6%
Robert Byrd 33%
Herbert Callahan 7%
CA U.S. House 42 Ken Calvert Republican 12%
MI U.S. House 4 Dave Camp Republican 12%
Ben Campbell 18%
Thomas Campbell 25%
FL Justice of the Supreme Court Charles Canady 6%
MD U.S. Senate Jr Ben Cardin Democratic 62%
Mike Castle 12%
OH U.S. House 1 Steve Chabot Republican 13%
John Chafee 50%
GA U.S. Senate Sr Saxby Chambliss Republican 0%
Helen Chenoweth-Hage 20%
Jon Lynn Christensen 0%
Dick Chrysler 9%
William Clay, Sr. 92%
Eva Clayton 75%
Robert Clement 40%
SC U.S. House 6 Jim Clyburn Democratic 75%
IN U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Coats Republican 18%
NC U.S. House 6 Howard Coble Republican 6%
OK U.S. Senate Jr Thomas Coburn Republican 13%
MS U.S. Senate Sr Thad Cochran Republican 11%
William Cohen 58%
Ronald Coleman 83%
Barbara-Rose Collins 90%
Cardiss Collins 92%
Michael Collins 12%
Larry Combest 6%
Gary Condit 33%
Kent Conrad 35%
MI U.S. House 13 John Conyers, Jr. Democratic 100%
Wes Cooley 8%
Jerry Costello 50%
Paul Coverdell 22%
Christopher Cox 0%
William Coyne 94%
Larry Craig 22%
Robert Cramer 19%
Philip Crane 12%
ID U.S. Senate Sr Mike Crapo Republican 19%
Frank Arnold Cremeans 8%
Barbara Cubin 12%
Randall Cunningham 6%
Alfonse D'Amato 17%
Patsy Ann Danner 31%
Thomas Daschle 44%
Thomas Davis III 12%
GA Governor Nathan Deal Republican 0%
OR U.S. House 4 Peter DeFazio Democratic 81%
E. Kika de la Garza 40%
CT U.S. House 3 Rosa DeLauro Democratic 69%
Thomas DeLay 0%
Ronald Dellums 100%
Peter Deutsch 44%
OH Attorney General Michael DeWine Republican 17%
Lincoln Diaz-Balart 31%
Jay Dickey 7%
Norm Dicks 69%
MI U.S. House 12 John Dingell Democratic 69%
Julian Dixon 81%
Chris Dodd 39%
TX U.S. House 35 Lloyd Doggett Democratic 81%
Robert Dole 0%
Pete Domenici, Jr. 13%
Calvin Dooley 40%
John Doolittle 25%
Byron Dorgan 44%
Robert Dornan 8%
PA U.S. House 14 Mike Doyle, Jr. Democratic 50%
David Dreier 0%
TN U.S. House 2 John Duncan, Jr. Republican 20%
Jennifer Dunn 0%
IL U.S. Senate Sr Dick Durbin Democratic 69%
Chet Edwards 50%
Vern Ehlers 25%
Bob Ehrlich, Jr. 0%
Bill Emerson 8%
NY U.S. House 16 Eliot Engel Democratic 100%
Philip English 19%
John Ensign 40%
CA U.S. House 18 Anna Eshoo Democratic 73%
Lane Evans 94%
Terry Everett 6%
Thomas Ewing 12%
Jim Exon 33%
Duncan McLauchlin Faircloth 29%
CA U.S. House 20 Sam Farr Democratic 75%
PA U.S. House 2 Chaka Fattah, Sr. Democratic 94%
Harris Fawell 6%
Victor Fazio 69%
Russ Feingold 82%
CA U.S. Senate Sr Dianne Feinstein Democratic 35%
Cleo Fields 78%
Jack Fields, Jr. 8%
CA Mayor At-Large Bob Filner Democratic 93%
Floyd Flake 81%
Michael Patrick Flanagan 0%
Thomas Foglietta 88%
Mark Foley 6%
Michael Patrick Forbes 13%
Wendell Ford 17%
Tillie Fowler 13%
Jon David Fox 6%
Barney Frank 88%
Gary Franks 42%
Robert Franks 27%
NJ U.S. House 11 Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican 25%
Dan Frisa 8%
William Frist 17%
Jonas Frost III 44%
David Funderburk 0%
Elizabeth Furse 67%
Elton Gallegly 0%
John Ganske 6%
Sam Gejdenson 88%
George Gekas 0%
Richard Andrew Gephardt 47%
Pete Geren 27%
Sam Gibbons 83%
Wayne Gilchrest 6%
Paul Gillmor 12%
Benjamin Gilman 19%
Newt Gingrich 0%
John Glenn 50%
Henry Gonzalez 75%
VA U.S. House 6 Bob Goodlatte Republican 0%
William Goodling 12%
Bart Gordon 38%
Slade Gorton 11%
Porter Goss 0%
Daniel Graham 39%
SC U.S. Senate Sr Lindsey Graham Republican 12%
William Phillip Gramm 20%
Rodney Grams 22%
IA U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Grassley Republican 17%
TX U.S. House 29 Gene Green Democratic 67%
Enid Greene 8%
James Greenwood 13%
Judd Gregg 17%
Steven Gunderson 25%
IL U.S. House 4 Luis Gutierrez Democratic 75%
Gilbert Gutknecht 6%
TX U.S. House 4 Ralph Hall Republican 19%
Tony Hall 79%
Lee Hamilton 25%
Melton Hancock 8%
James Hansen 6%
IA U.S. Senate Jr Tom Harkin Democratic 39%
Jane Harman 47%
J. Dennis Hastert 0%
FL U.S. House 20 Alcee Hastings, Sr. Democratic 87%
WA U.S. House 4 Doc Hastings Republican 12%
UT U.S. Senate Sr Orrin Hatch Republican 17%
Mark Hatfield 45%
J.D. Hayworth, Jr. 12%
Joel Hefley 6%
W.G. Hefner 44%
Fredrick Kenneth Fred' Heineman 8%
Jesse Helms 18%
Wally Herger, Jr. 7%
Van Hilleary 19%
Earl Hilliard, Jr. 80%
Maurice Hinchey 94%
David Lee Hobson 0%
Pete Hoekstra 25%
Thomas Holden 31%
Ernest Hollings 29%
Stephen Horn 20%
John Nathan Hostettler 7%
Amory Houghton, Jr. 13%
MD U.S. House 5 Steny Hoyer Democratic 56%
Duncan Hunter 0%
Y. Tim Hutchinson 6%
Kay Hutchison 12%
Henry Hyde 0%
Bob Inglis, Sr. 12%
OK U.S. Senate Sr Jim Inhofe Republican 24%
Daniel Inouye 35%
Ernest Istook, Jr. 6%
Jesse Jackson, Jr. 93%
TX U.S. House 18 Sheila Jackson Lee Democratic 93%
Andrew Jacobs, Jr. 42%
William Jefferson 81%
James Merrill Jeffords 33%
TX U.S. House 30 Eddie Johnson Democratic 75%
Nancy Johnson 6%
TX U.S. House 3 Sam Johnson Republican 19%
SD U.S. Senate Sr Timothy Johnson Democratic 27%
Harry Johnston 82%
J. Bennett Johnston 42%
NC U.S. House 3 Walter Jones, Jr. Republican 12%
Paul Kanjorski 50%
OH U.S. House 9 Marcy Kaptur Democratic 67%
OH Governor John Kasich Republican 6%
Nancy Landon Kassebaum 58%
Sue Kelly 6%
Dirk Kempthorne 22%
Edward Kennedy, Sr. 50%
Joseph Kennedy II 69%
Patrick Kennedy 81%
Barbara Bailey Kennelly 56%
Bob Kerrey 47%
NA U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Democratic 47%
Dale Kildee 50%
Jay Kim 6%
NY U.S. House 2 Pete King Republican 25%
GA U.S. House 1 Jack Kingston Republican 12%
Gerald Kleczka 56%
Ronald Klink 62%
Scott Klug 25%
Joseph Knollenberg 0%
Herb Kohl 35%
James Kolbe 19%
Jon Kyl 12%
John LaFalce 80%
Ray LaHood 12%
Tom Lantos 69%
Stephen Largent 12%
IA U.S. House 3 Tom Latham Republican 6%
Steve LaTourette 6%
Greg Laughlin 25%
Frank Lautenberg 50%
Rick Lazio 6%
James Leach 19%
VT U.S. Senate Sr Patrick Leahy Democratic 59%
MI U.S. Senate Sr Carl Levin Democratic 44%
MI U.S. House 9 Sandy Levin Democratic 69%
Jerry Lewis 12%
GA U.S. House 5 John Lewis Democratic 94%
Ron Lewis 19%
Joe Lieberman 28%
Jim Lightfoot 8%
Blanche Lincoln 42%
John Linder 6%
William Lipinski 25%
Robert Livingston 0%
NJ U.S. House 2 Frank LoBiondo Republican 19%
CA U.S. House 19 Zoe Lofgren Democratic 94%
James Longley, Jr. 25%
Trent Lott, Sr. 17%
NY U.S. House 17 Nita Lowey Democratic 69%
OK U.S. House 3 Frank Lucas Republican 12%
Dick Lugar 17%
William Luther 62%
Connie Mack 31%
NY U.S. House 12 Carolyn Maloney Democratic 80%
Thomas Manton 38%
Don Manzullo 12%
MA U.S. House 5 Ed Markey Democratic 88%
Matthew Martinez 81%
Bill Martini 17%
Frank Mascara 31%
Robert Matsui 94%
AZ U.S. Senate Sr John McCain III Republican 18%
Karen McCarthy 75%
Bill McCollum 6%
KY U.S. Senate Sr Mitch McConnell Republican 22%
James McCrery III 0%
Joseph McDade 18%
WA U.S. House 7 Jim McDermott Democratic 100%
Paul McHale 44%
John McHugh 19%
Scott McInnis 19%
David McIntosh 20%
CA U.S. House 25 Buck McKeon Republican 0%
Cynthia Ann McKinney 80%
Michael McNulty 40%
Martin Meehan 80%
Carrie Meek 87%
NJ U.S. Senate Sr Bob Menendez Democratic 64%
Jack Metcalf 6%
Jan Meyers 36%
FL U.S. House 7 John Mica Republican 12%
MD U.S. Senate Sr Barbara Mikulski Democratic 39%
Juanita Millender-McDonald 75%
Dan Miller 6%
CA U.S. House 11 George Miller Democratic 79%
David Minge 69%
Patsy Takemoto Mink 94%
John Moakley 67%
Susan Molinari 0%
Alan Mollohan 62%
G.V. Montgomery 8%
Carlos Moorhead 8%
VA U.S. House 8 Jim Moran, Jr. Democratic 56%
Constance Morella 56%
Carol Moseley Braun 78%
Patrick Moynihan 53%
Frank Murkowski 6%
WA U.S. Senate Sr Patty Murray Democratic 59%
Jack Murtha 56%
John Myers 8%
Sue Myrick 6%
NY U.S. House 10 Jerry Nadler Democratic 93%
MA U.S. House 1 Richard Neal Democratic 47%
George Nethercutt, Jr. 19%
Mark Neumann 25%
Robert William Ney 12%
Don Nickles 22%
Charles Norwood, Jr. 6%
Sam Nunn 58%
James Nussle 0%
Jim Oberstar 88%
Dave Obey 67%
John Olver 94%
Solomon Ortiz, Sr. 53%
Bill Orton 33%
Major Owens 100%
Michael Oxley 7%
NJ U.S. House 6 Frank Pallone, Jr. Democratic 62%
Mike Parker 0%
AZ U.S. House 7 Ed Pastor Democratic 69%
William Paxon 6%
Donald Payne 94%
Lewis Payne, Jr. 42%
Claiborne Pell 83%
CA U.S. House 12 Nancy Pelosi Democratic 93%
MN U.S. House 7 Collin Peterson Democratic/Farmer/Labor 38%
Pete Peterson 58%
WI U.S. House 6 Tom Petri Republican 31%
Owen Pickett 38%
Richard Pombo 19%
Earl Pomeroy 44%
John Edward Porter 7%
OH U.S. Senate Jr Rob Portman Republican 6%
Glenn Poshard 56%
Larry Pressler 8%
Deborah Pryce 6%
David Pryor 60%
Jack Quinn 19%
George Radanovich 7%
WV U.S. House 3 Nick Rahall II Democratic 69%
James Ramstad 12%
NY U.S. House 13 Charlie Rangel Democratic 100%
RI U.S. Senate Sr Jack Reed Democratic 75%
Ralph Regula 6%
NV U.S. Senate Sr Harry Reid Democratic 22%
Bill Richardson 62%
Frank Duncan Riggs 0%
Lynn Nancy Rivers 81%
Charles Robb 39%
KS U.S. Senate Sr Pat Roberts Republican 13%
WV U.S. Senate Sr Jay Rockefeller IV Democratic 28%
Timothy Roemer 44%
KY U.S. House 5 Hal Rogers Republican 0%
CA U.S. House 48 Dana Rohrabacher Republican 6%
Charles Rose III 58%
FL U.S. House 27 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Republican 33%
Toby Roth 0%
William Roth, Jr. 6%
Marge Roukema 38%
CA U.S. House 40 Lucille Roybal-Allard Democratic 94%
CA U.S. House 39 Ed Royce Republican 7%
IL U.S. House 1 Bobby Rush Democratic 87%
Martin Olav Sabo 94%
AZ U.S. House 5 Matthew Salmon Republican 12%
VT U.S. Senate Jr Bernie Sanders Independent 100%
SC U.S. House 1 Mark Sanford, Jr. Republican 25%
Rick Santorum 17%
Paul Sarbanes 44%
OH State Senate 28 Thomas Sawyer Democratic 62%
Jim Saxton 6%
Joe Scarborough 27%
Daniel Schaefer 0%
Steven Schiff 13%
Patricia Schroeder 92%
NY U.S. Senate Sr Chuck Schumer Democratic 62%
VA U.S. House 3 Bobby Scott Democratic 81%
Andrea Seastrand 8%
WI U.S. House 5 Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. Republican 19%
NY U.S. House 15 José Serrano Democratic 94%
John Shadegg 12%
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. 0%
Christopher Shays 25%
AL U.S. Senate Sr Richard Shelby Republican 12%
E.G. Shuster 0%
Paul Simon 100%
Alan Simpson 58%
Norman Sisisky 25%
David Skaggs 94%
Joseph Skeen 12%
Ike Skelton 31%
NY U.S. House 25 Louise Slaughter Democratic 88%
NJ U.S. House 4 Chris Smith Republican 12%
TX U.S. House 21 Lamar Smith Republican 7%
Linda Smith 27%
Nick Smith 7%
Bob Smith 28%
Olympia Snowe 22%
Gerald B.H. Solomon 7%
Mark Souder 25%
Arlen Specter 33%
Floyd Spence 7%
John Spratt, Jr. 33%
Pete Stark 100%
Cliff Stearns 6%
Charles Stenholm 31%
Ted Stevens 11%
TX U.S. House 36 Steve Stockman Republican 17%
Louis Stokes 100%
Gerry Studds 91%
Bob Stump 6%
Bart Stupak 62%
James Talent 0%
John Tanner 40%
Randy Tate 8%
William Tauzin 0%
Charles Taylor 7%
Gene Taylor 12%
Frank Tejeda 36%
Craig Thomas 28%
William Thomas 6%
MS U.S. House 2 Bennie Thompson Democratic 80%
Fred Thompson 11%
TX U.S. House 13 Mac Thornberry Republican 0%
Ray Thornton 67%
Karen Thurman 53%
Strom Thurmond 17%
Todd Tiahrt 12%
Peter Torkildsen 50%
Esteban Edward Torres 88%
Robert Torricelli 56%
Ed Towns 93%
James Traficant, Jr. 31%
MI U.S. House 6 Fred Upton Republican 12%
NY U.S. House 7 Nydia Velázquez Democratic 100%
Bruce Vento 88%
IN U.S. House 1 Pete Visclosky Democratic 69%
Harold Volkmer 27%
Barbara Vucanovich 8%
James Walsh 25%
Zach Wamp 19%
Michael Ward 82%
John Warner 22%
CA U.S. House 43 Maxine Waters Democratic 100%
NC U.S. House 12 Mel Watt Democratic 93%
Julius Caesar Watts, Jr. 20%
CA U.S. House 33 Henry Waxman Democratic 86%
David Weldon 0%
W. Curtis Weldon 8%
Gerald Weller 0%
Paul Wellstone 56%
Rick White 19%
KY U.S. House 1 Ed Whitfield Republican 6%
MS U.S. Senate Jr Roger Wicker Republican 0%
Pat Williams 90%
Charles Wilson 64%
Bob Wise, Jr. 62%
VA U.S. House 10 Frank Wolf Republican 12%
Lynn Woolsey 88%
OR U.S. Senate Sr Ron Wyden Democratic 42%
Albert Wynn 81%
Sidney Yates 94%
FL U.S. House 13 Bill Young Republican 0%
AK U.S. House At-Large Don Young Republican 21%
Bill Zeliff 25%
Richard Zimmer 33%

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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