dannielle

February 18, 2021
Contact: Dannielle Lipinski, dlipinski@mdlcv.org

Maryland LCV Announces Congressional Delegation Scores from LCV’s 2020 National Environmental Scorecard

Annapolis, MD — Maryland LCV today released the Maryland congressional delegation’s scores from the League of Conservation Voters’ 2020 National Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard is the primary yardstick for evaluating the environmental records of every member of Congress, and is available for download here, in Spanish here, and online in both languages at scorecard.lcv.org.

“President Biden has wasted no time putting climate at the top of his agenda to protect our future.,” said Maryland LCV’s executive director, Kim Coble. “Thankfully we have representatives who have stood up for Maryland’s values and put our future first. But Representative Andy Harris continues to side with corporate polluters over Maryland’s health and environment. There has never been a more important time for our delegation to work together and to protect every Maryland resident.”

The 2020 Scorecard measures votes cast during the second session of the 116th Congress. In Maryland, seven House members and Senators Cardin and Van Hollen earned a score of 90 percent or greater.  

The average House score for Maryland was 87 percent and the average Senate score was 92 percent. The full delegation’s scores for 2020 are:

Senator Cardin – 92 percent

Senator Van Hollen – 92 percent

Representative Harris – 0 percent

Representative Ruppersberger – 100 percent

Representative Sarbanes – 100 percent

Representative Brown – 95 percent

Representative Hoyer – 100 percent

Representative Trone – 100 percent

Representative Mfume – 100 percent

Representative Raskin – 100 percent

“During an incredibly difficult and unprecedented year and with the most anti-environmental president ever, pro-environment members of the 116th Congress paved the way for transformational action on climate and environmental justice,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “Now the pro-environment trifecta — led by President Biden and Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Schumer — is poised to enact transformational progress that results in healthy, equitable, safe communities powered by clean energy.”

The 2020 Scorecard includes 21 House votes that advanced pro-environmental and pro-democracy bills, provisions, and government funding. In the Senate, for the fourth year in a row, the majority of the 13 scored votes were extreme and partisan nominations both to the federal bench and the Trump administration. 

For the first time, the 2020 National Environmental Scorecard includes votes on removing public monuments to racism and policing and criminal justice reform. The same damaging system—racism—is at the root of climate injustice, environmental injustice, and police brutality. The 2020 Scorecard therefore includes votes that reflect LCV’s belief that these struggles are intertwined and must be addressed together.

LCV has published a National Environmental Scorecard every Congress since 1970. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from more than 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who selected the key votes on which members of Congress should be scored.

LCV scores votes on the most important issues of the year, including energy, climate change, environmental justice, public health, public lands and wildlife conservation, democracy, and spending for environmental programs. The votes included in the Scorecard presented members of Congress with a real choice and helped distinguish which legislators are working for environmental protection. More information on individual votes and the Scorecard archive can be found at scorecard.lcv.org.

Earlier this month, LCV released a new report examining the environmental records of members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), collectively referred to as the Tri-Caucus. Using data from LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard, the report details how members of the Tri-Caucus were champions of strong environmental policies that address environmental injustice, helped chair a record number of hearings about climate change, and led on many of the critical pro-environmental bills during the 116th Congress.

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