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2020 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL Scorecard

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2020 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL Scorecard 2020 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL scorecard SECOND SESSION OF THE 116TH CONGRESS LCV BOARD OF DIRECTORS * JOHN H. ADAMS, HONORARY STEVE HOLTZMAN SCOTT NATHAN Natural Resources Defense Council Boies Schiller Flexner LLP Center for American Progress BRENT BLACKWELDER, HONORARY RAMPA R. HORMEL, HONORARY BILL ROBERTS Friends of the Earth Enlyst Fund Corridor Partners THE HONORABLE SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, JOHN HUNTING, HONORARY LARRY ROCKEFELLER VICE CHAIR John Hunting & Associates American Conservation Association The Accord Group MICHAEL KIESCHNICK THEODORE ROOSEVELT IV, HONORARY THE HONORABLE CAROL BROWNER, CHAIR Green Advocacy Project CHAIR Former EPA Administrator Barclays Capital ROGER KIM CARRIE CLARK Democracy Alliance KERRY SCHUMANN North Carolina League of Conservation Wisconsin Conservation Voters MARK MAGAÑA Voters GreenLatinos LAURA TURNER SEYDEL BRIAN DEESE Turner Foundation WINSOME MCINTOSH, HONORARY BlackRock The McIntosh Foundation TRIP VAN NOPPEN THE HONORABLE DONNA F. EDWARDS Earthjustice MOLLY MCUSIC Former U.S. Representative Wyss Foundation KATHLEEN WELCH MICHAEL FOX Corridor Partners THE HONORABLE WILLIAM H. MEADOWS III Eloise Capital The Wilderness Society ANTHA WILLIAMS ELAINE FRENCH Bloomberg Philanthropies GREG MOGA John and Elaine French Family Foundation Moga Investments LLC REVEREND LENNOX YEARWOOD, JR. MARIA HANDLEY Hip Hop Caucus REUBEN MUNGER Conservation Colorado Education Fund Vision Ridge Partners, LLC LCV ISSUES & ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE * BRENT BLACKWELDER SUNITA LEEDS REUBEN MUNGER Friends of the Earth Enfranchisement Foundation Vision Ridge Partners, LLC THE HONORABLE CAROL BROWNER MARK MAGAÑA KERRY SCHUMANN Former EPA Administrator GreenLatinos Wisconsin Conservation Voters MICHAEL FOX GREG MOGA TRIP VAN NOPPEN Eloise Capital Moga Investments LLC Earthjustice LCV SCORECARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE * CAROL ANDRESS CRAIG LASHER LUKAS ROSS Environmental Defense Fund Population Action International Friends of the Earth ALEXANDRA ADAMS MICHELLE MABSON ERIK SCHNEIDER Natural Resources Defense Council Black Millennials for Flint National Audubon Society BIDISHA BHATTACHARYYA DREW MCCONVILLE KERRY SCHUMANN, CHAIR Center for American Progress The Wilderness Society Wisconsin Conservation Voters KRISTEN BRENGEL KRISTEN MILLER KERENE TAYLOE National Parks Conservation Association Alaska Wilderness League WE ACT for Environmental Justice ROBERT COWIN KATIE MURTHA ABBY TINSLEY Union of Concerned Scientists Environment America National Wildlife Foundation ROBERT DEWEY ÁNGEL PEÑA KATHY TSANTIRIS Defenders of Wildlife GreenLatinos Ocean Conservancy JESSICA ECKDISH MELINDA PIERCE BlueGreen Alliance Sierra Club MARTY HAYDEN MICHELE ROBERTS Earthjustice Environmental Justice Health Alliance * Organizations are shown for identification purposes only he nonprofit League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has CONTENTS published a National Environmental Scorecard every Congress since 1970, the year it was founded by leaders T of the environmental movement following the first 1. ANALYSIS Earth Day. LCV believes our earth is worth fighting for because everyone has a right to clean air, water, lands and a safe, Overview of the 2nd healthy community. Session of the 116th Congress 2 This edition of the National Environmental Scorecard provides objective, factual information about the most important Voting Summary 5 environmental legislation considered and the corresponding voting records of all members of the second session of the 116th Congress. This Scorecard represents the consensus of experts 2. SENATE SCORES from more than 20 respected environmental and conservation Vote Descriptions 8 organizations who selected the key votes on which members of Congress should be scored. LCV scores votes on the most Senate Votes 14 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 this 3. HOUSE SCORES Scorecard presented members of Congress with a real choice and help distinguish which legislators are working for environmental Vote Descriptions 20 protection. Except in rare circumstances, the Scorecard excludes House Votes 28 consensus action on the environment and issues on which no recorded votes occurred. Dedicated environmentalists and national leaders volunteered their time to identify and research crucial votes. We extend special thanks to our Board of Directors, Issues & Accountability Committee, and Scorecard Advisory Committee for their valuable input. 2020 OVERVIEW 2020 was a year like no other as our nation struggled with four interwoven crises: the corona- virus pandemic, economic inequality, racial injustice, and climate change. These consequential crises shaped Congress’ Fortunately, Chair Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Demo- agenda and votes—relief and national leadership cratic members of the House Select Committee on in a time of vast hardship became overwhelmingly the Climate Crisis consulted experts and communi- urgent. Yet the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate ties all across the nation to devise a roadmap for approached their responses very differently; the climate action: “Solving the Climate Crisis: The Con- House proposed and passed multiple comprehen- gressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy sive policy solutions while the Senate, in response and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America.” The to these crises, remained largely inert, with only a House acted on some of the Select Committee’s few exceptions. recommendations, passing Supplemental Emer- gency Appropriations (H.R. 5687) for Puerto Rico, The 21 House votes in LCV’s 2020 National Environ- which, after three years of insufficient support, mental Scorecard advanced pro-environmental and is still rebuilding from Hurricane Maria and other pro-democracy bills, provisions, and government devastating hurricanes, and a climate-ambitious in- funding thanks to strong leadership from Speaker frastructure package, the Moving Forward Act, H.R. Pelosi and others. In stark contrast, of the 13 Senate 2, to help clean up our electricity and transporta- votes in the 2020 Scorecard, eight were extreme tion sectors, deliver clean drinking water to com- and partisan nominations both to the federal bench munities like Flint, MI, and make our country more and the Trump administration, and Leader McCon- resilient to the impacts of climate change. Though nell refused to bring to a vote much needed de- the Senate Democrat’s Special Committee on the mocracy reforms, climate, water infrastructure, and Climate Crisis also released their blueprint for cli- clean energy investments, and aid to people that mate action, the Republican-controlled Senate did the House passed. Across 2020, Leader McConnell not take up either bill, leaving communities with jammed through 44 lifetime judicial appointments damaged and failing infrastructure that continues for President Trump, while only holding votes on 25 to harm their health and wellbeing. bills or resolutions. The House’s multifaceted response to the climate The climate crisis continued unabated, harming crisis also included important clean energy legisla- people’s health, homes, farms, and other property, tion. The House passed an energy innovation pack- particularly in communities of color. We experi- age, H.R. 4447, that, as amended (vote #203), would enced the hottest year on record, the worst Atlantic greatly increase available funding levels for clean hurricane season on record, the worst West Coast energy programs to advance the transition to 100% fire season on record, a record 22 climate-fueled clean electricity and decarbonize the transporta- disasters that each caused over $1 billion in dam- tion and industrial sectors. The 116th Congress age, and total U.S. losses of $95 billion from cli- concluded on a high note with a year-end omnibus mate disasters. package (H.R. 133) signed into law that included 2 scorecard.lcv.org | 2020 National Environmental Scorecard · LCV a phase down of climate super pollutants, HFCs; extensions of tax credits for energy efficiency and Scorecard Changes in wind and solar power; and increased clean energy 116th Congress research and innovation funding. Though many more ambitious climate actions are needed to As we announced last year, in order to bet- stave off the worst of the climate crisis, these year- ter align our Scorecard with our organizational focus on equity across gender, race, family and end actions provide momentum for a more com- health status, age, and physical ability and to prehensive suite of actions in 2021 and beyond. more accurately represent a member of Con- gress’s commitment to the environment, we are An extremely positive, and bipartisan, conserva- changing the way we score some missed votes. tion development in 2020 was the enactment Starting in the 2019 Scorecard, votes missed by of the Great American Outdoors Act (H.R. 1957), members of Congress due to family and medical which would provide full and permanent funding leave or disasters are being treated as excused absences and will not count against a member’s of $900 million annually for the Land and Water score. Votes missed for other reasons, including Conservation Fund as well as funding to address running for elected office, would still display as the deferred maintenance backlog in our national a missed vote and be counted the same as cast- parks and other public lands. The pandemic has ing an anti-environmental vote, as they have for underscored the health benefits of local parks and decades.
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