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D.C. Dispatches

Delegation earns no A's from conservative organization

By Devin Henry | 01/13/12

WASHINGTON — Americans for Prosperity, a conservative economic advocacy group founded by the Koch brothers, released its 2011 report card for members of Congress this week, and no Minnesotan scored higher than a B.

The organization rated a variety of major votes Congress took during the 2011 session, including "the repeal of President Obama’s new healthcare law, preempting EPA’s purported authority to regulate greenhouse gases, the Ryan Budget, ending ethanol subsidies, several Congressional Review Act resolutions and the FY2012 appropriations bills." The organization favored very conservative positions on each bill.

Only 44 lawmakers received a perfect A+ score, but none from the Minnesota delegation. Among the state's lawmakers, the highest grade was a B, given to Reps. John Kline, Michele Bachmann and Chip Cravaack. Erik Paulsen and Democrat Collin Peterson received C grades. 

Sen. Al Franken and Rep. Keith Ellison were given Ds, Sen. Amy Klobuchar a D-, and Reps. Betty McCollum and Tim Walz got F grades, meaning they voted against Americans for Prosperity on every major vote during 2011.

Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com.

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Comments (5)

Submitted by Bernice Vetsch on January 14, 2012 - 12:55pm.

Three cheers for McCollum and Walz.
Two and a half for Klobuchar.
Two for Franken and Ellison.

Submitted by Dennis Tester on January 16, 2012 - 9:35am.

Yeah, Bernice, because $16 trillion of debt is not enough.

Submitted by Bernice Vetsch on January 16, 2012 - 3:21pm.

Yeah, Dennis, thanks to George Bush burning through the $5 billion or so surplus left him by Bill Clinton and then invading Iraq (trillions by the time we're through) while reducing revenue by billions upon billions in tax cuts for the job-creators-who-don't-create-jobs but who have shipped some nine million offshore where people are poor enough to work for as little as 50 cents an hour.

Deficits are cured by increasing revenue (taxes) for investment in the economy. It has worked for president after president, but seems to have an undeservedly bad reputation at the moment -- even at the IMF, whose position that austerity alone will cure deficits and national debt is only now beginning to be questioned.

Submitted by Ray Schoch on January 16, 2012 - 8:03pm.

Well said, Bernice…

Submitted by Dave Eischens on January 16, 2012 - 8:36pm.

Yeah, Dennis, because health care is a privilege, clean air and water aren't more important than oil and coal companies quarterly earnings reports. Because record profit is not enough.

It's about jobs. It's about a level playing field. It's about people before profits. People working together to make a better life. Mostly it's about government for the people, of, and by the people. Not the tried and failed trickle-down fantasies of Americans for Prosperity.