Conservation Colorado Announces Delegation Scores from LCV’s 2019 National Environmental Scorecard
DENVER – Conservation Colorado today released the Colorado delegation’s scores on the League of Conservation Voters’ 2019 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 at scorecard.lcv.org.
“As the Trump administration continues to roll back environmental protections and actively put our health at risk, Senator Cory Gardner and Representatives Scott Tipton, Ken Buck, and Doug Lamborn have refused to stand up for policies and laws that protect Colorado’s climate, air, land and wildlife,” said Kelly Nordini, executive director of Conservation Colorado. “Thankfully, we can count on pro-conservation leaders like Senator Michael Bennet and Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Ed Perlmutter to push back against this administration’s pro-pollution agenda. Here in Colorado, we’re more determined than ever before to hold members of Congress accountable for denying our families’ fundamental rights to a livable climate, clean air, safe drinking water and a healthy environment – and that means we will ask every member of Congress to vote for bills that fight the climate crisis, sponsor and pass wilderness and public lands bills, and fully fund conservation programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund.”
The 2019 Scorecard measures votes cast during the first session of the 116th Congress. In Colorado, four House members and Senator Bennet earned a score of 80 percent or greater, while three House members earned an abysmal score of 10 percent or less. Senator Gardner rounded out the delegation with a score of 36 percent. The full delegation’s scores for 2019 are:
- Senator Bennet – 86 percent
- Senator Gardner – 36 percent
- Representative DeGette – 97 percent
- Representative Neguse – 97 percent
- Representative Tipton – 7 percent
- Representative Buck – 0 percent
- Representative Lamborn – 7 percent
- Representative Crow – 97 percent
- Representative Perlmutter – 97 percent
“We are grateful to Speaker Pelosi and her pro-environment majority for prioritizing climate action and protections of our air, water, lands, wildlife, and democracy,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “While pro-environment leaders supported policies that will protect communities across the country, especially low-income communities and communities of color, from the negative impacts of climate change-fueled extreme heat, natural disasters, and toxic pollution last year, Senate Majority Leader McConnell’s refusal to act on hundreds of important House-passed bills put the health of our children and families at risk for the benefit of his corporate polluter friends.”
The 2019 Scorecard includes 35 House votes that span the chamber’s assaults on clean air and water, lands and wildlife protections, investments in clean energy and so much more. In the Senate, the majority of the 14 votes scored are confirmation votes on Trump’s anti-environmental nominees.
LCV has published a National Environmental Scorecard every Congress since 1970. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from about 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, public health, public lands and wildlife conservation, and spending for environmental programs. The votes included in the Scorecard presented members of Congress with a real choice and help distinguish which legislators are working for environmental protection. More information on individual votes and the Scorecard archive can be found at scorecard.lcv.org.
