CAGW Release Praising 'Taxpayer Heroes'

Five Republicans among the eighty "heroes" were designated as "superheroes" with ratings of 100 percent: Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo.; Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio; Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich.; Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn.; and former Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C.

The highest rated Democrat, with a 78 percent rating, was Rep. Ralph M. Hall, Texas.

May 20, 1999

[1] (Washington, D.C.) -- At a Capitol Hill news conference this morning, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), America's largest fiscal watchdog group, released its 1998 Congressional Ratings. Joining CCAGW President Thomas A. Schatz at the event were members of Congress who voted with the taxpayers at least 80 percent of the time -- earning them the organization's coveted "Taxpayer Hero" Award.

[2] "The members of Congress standing with me today deserve the praise of taxpayers," Schatz stated. "They have backed up their rhetoric with their votes to eliminate wasteful spending, cut taxes, and transform government."

[3] CCAGW examined 28 key House and 20 key Senate votes from the second session of the 105th Congress to help taxpayers determine who is and who is not on their side in the war on waste. Four House members qualified as "Taxpayer Superheroes" in 1998, each earning a perfect 100 percent rating on all 28 votes. These honors went to Reps. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), Bob Inglis (R- S.C.) and Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.). An additional 73 House members -- 18 percent of the entire House -- earned Taxpayer Hero status with ratings of 80 percent or higher.

[4] The Senate performed nearly as well as the House during this session -- 15 senators voted to cut government waste at least 80 percent of the time. At the top of the list was Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.), with a perfect 100 percent rating. Immediately following him were Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), both with a 95 percent rating.

[5] As in the past, CCAGW's nonpartisan approach to its ratings included a review by the organization's board of governors and a bipartisan group of elected officials. Nearly all the votes considered were the subject of letters to members of Congress notifying them that CCAGW would consider the vote in its annual ratings.

[6] Among the trends revealed by this year's ratings; the Republican delegation in the House repeated its all-time record with an average of 75 percent for the second session of the 105th Congress -- a record first achieved during the 104th Congress. Conversely, Democrats rated their worst ever with a dismal 13 percent average, 9 points lower than their rating for the first session of the 105th Congress. Highest among House Democrats was Rep. Ralph Hall (D-Texas) with a curve-breaking 78 percent rating.

[7] In the Senate, Republicans spent 1998 earning an average rating of 70 percent, while the Democrats turned in another lackluster performance, scraping by with a measly 18 percent. Sens. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) teamed up to serve as the chamber's top-rated Democrats with 45 percent ratings.

[8] CCAGW is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.

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1999 CAGW TAXPAYER HEROES AND SUPERHEROES

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