*** Full Scorecard available at www.lcv.org/scorecard ***

Today, the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) joined the national League of Conservation Voters (LCV) in releasing the 2009 National Environmental Scorecard, revealing scores for the California delegation in the first session of the 111th Congress. For 30 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues.

“We applaud those members of the California delegation who fought in 2009 to bring clean energy jobs to the state and reduce our national dependence on foreign oil, particularly Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and the 23 members of the House of Representatives who received a perfect score for their environmental votes,” said CLCV CEO Warner Chabot. “The 2009 Scorecard clearly exposes numerous other legislators for their terrible voting record and willingness to put corporate polluters and other special interests ahead of a cleaner, more secure energy future for California.”

The 2009 Scorecard includes 11 Senate and 13 House votes dominated by clean energy and climate change but also encompassing other environmental issues such as public lands, water and wildlife conservation.  In California, 23 House members and both Senators earned a perfect 100 percent score in 2009, while nine House members received an abysmal 0 percent. The average score in 2009 for California members of the House was 63 percent.

“The 2009 National Environmental Scorecard illustrates the extent to which the Obama administration and the 111th Congress began to move our nation towards a clean energy future that will create new jobs, make America more energy independent and curb global warming pollution,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski.   “However, it also makes clear that there is still much work to be done, first and foremost to finish the work started in the House by swiftly passing a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill in the Senate.”

Given the scope, magnitude and urgency of addressing the climate crisis and building a clean energy economy, LCV took the extraordinary step of double-scoring the House votes on final passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. A majority of the California delegation voted for the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act.

2009 SCORES:

Senate

Feinstein (D) 100

Boxer (D) 100

House

1 Thompson, M. (D ) 100

2 Herger (R ) 0

3 Lungren (R ) 0

4 McClintock (R ) 0

5 Matsui (D ) 100

6 Woolsey (D ) 100

7 Miller, George (D ) 86

8 Pelosi (D ) N/A

9 Lee (D ) 100

10 Garamendi (D ) 100

10 Tauscher (D ) 91

11 McNerney (D ) 93

12 Speier (D ) 93

13 Stark (D ) 71

14 Eshoo (D ) 100

15 Honda (D ) 100

16 Lofgren (D ) 100

17 Farr (D ) 100

18 Cardoza (D ) 86

19 Radanovich (R ) 0

20 Costa (D ) 71

21 Nunes (R ) 7

22 McCarthy, K. (R ) 0

23 Capps (D ) 100

24 Gallegly (R ) 7

25 McKeon (R ) 14

26 Dreier (R ) 0

27 Sherman (D ) 100

28 Berman (D ) 100

29 Schiff (D ) 100

30 Waxman (D ) 100

31 Becerra (D ) 100

32 Chu (D ) 100

32 Solis (D ) 100

33 Watson (D ) 100

34 Roybal-Allard (D ) 93

35 Waters (D ) 93

36 Harman (D ) 93

37 Richardson (D ) 100

38 Napolitano (D ) 100

39 Sanchez, Linda (D ) 79

40 Royce (R )  7

41 Lewis, Jerry (R ) 7

42 Miller, Gary (R ) 0

43 Baca (D ) 100

44 Calvert (R ) 14

45 Bono Mack (R ) 43

46 Rohrabacher (R ) 7

47 Sanchez, Loretta (D ) 100

48 Campbell (R ) 0

49 Issa (R ) 7

50 Bilbray (R ) 21

51 Filner (D ) 100

52 Hunter (R ) 0

53 Davis, S. (D ) 93

The full 2009 National Environmental Scorecard can be found at www.lcv.org/scorecard

# # #

Also posted at Bear Flag Blue

As the rumors fly about the budget “deal” and whether any Republicans will actually vote for it, it seemed like the best move was to actually call up Republican offices and ask. sean mykael of Bear Flag Blue took the lead on calling the 15 Republican State Senators and we got some…interesting responses.

There were 5 outright “No” responses, from Sam Aanestad (SD-4), George Runner (SD-17), Bob Huff (SD-29), Dennis Hollingsworth (SD-36) and Mark Wyland (SD-38). Robert Dutton (SD-31) is leaning no.

Most responses fell into the “no position, haven’t seen any details, but we oppose taxes.” This includes Tony Strickland (SD-19) and Mimi Walters (SD-33) but also Jeff Denham (SD-12). Abel Maldonado’s office (SD-15) repeated the “no position, haven’t seen details” line but didn’t make note of the tax issue. So it’s possible that means he might stop putting chairs over children.

UPDATE by Brian: I’ve just heard from Denham’s folks. He’s going no.  I suppose that the quest for the losing nomination for LG is on!

And then there was Dave Cogdill, who as David Dayen noted yesterday refused to commit to the deal he negotiated. The only thing his office would say is “everything is on the table.”

This whole thing is a ridiculous joke. Just as in the Congress with the stimulus, Sacramento Republicans demand all kinds of things, from gutting of environmental review to more corporate tax cuts, that they can never get otherwise – and yet they refuse to vote for the bill anyway.

And the underlying reasons are similar. Both in Sacramento and in DC, Republicans have two related goals in mind: First, break the economy so that their large corporate allies can more thoroughly dominate the market; and Second, prevent effective government action on economic recovery to as to have a hope of escaping permanent political oblivion.

Republicans in CA and DC are in the same political position – voters have rejected them, but they have just enough power through procedural quirks (the 2/3 rule, the cloture rule) to obstruct things. If Republicans can use that to prevent economic recovery, then they might have a chance at reversing their series of losses by blaming ongoing economic weakness on the Democrats.

It’s a cynical, suicide cult strategy. But that’s what modern Republicanism has become.

The full list of Republican Senators and responses are over the flip. Of course if any of them or their staff want to send along priceless statements like the one from Dennis Hollingsworth, just drop me an email (click on my username).

• Dave Cox (SD-1): No position, hasn’t seen details.

• Sam Aanestad (SD-4): Will vote no

• Jeff Denham (SD-12): Will vote no

• Dave Cogdill (SD-14): Won’t answer. Will pass along a message. “Everything is on the table at this point”

• Abel Maldonado (SD-15): No position, hasn’t seen details.

• George Runner (SD-17): Will vote no

• Roy Ashburn (SD-18): No position, hasn’t seen details.

• Tony Strickland (SD-19): No position, hasn’t seen language. Opposed to taxes.

• Bob Huff (SD-29): Will vote no “unless there’s some drastic change”

• Robert Dutton (SD-31): From what he has seen so far, leaning no

• Mimi Walters (SD-33): Not in favor of taxes, “will vote accordingly” (which is easy when your kids go to private schools)

• Tom Harman (SD-35): Hasn’t seen details, will not favor higher taxes

• Dennis Hollingsworth (SD-36): Will vote no

• John Benoit (SD-37): Will not be voting for tax increases (not sure what that means exactly – are you in or are you out?)

• Mark Wyland (SD-38): Will vote no

Thanks again to sean mykael for calling these offices!