2009-2010 CONSERVATION REPORT CARD Evaluating the 111th Congress efenders of Wildlife Action Fund Deducates the public about conservation issues and generates grassroots efforts to ensure that members of Congress and the president hear from constituents on pending legislation and regulations. Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund advocates in Washington, D.C., for legislation to safeguard wildlife and habitat and fights efforts to undermine conservation laws, such as the landmark Endangered Species Act. The Action Fund also publishes the Conservation Report Card to help citizens hold their legislators accountable by providing information on how lawmakers voted on important conservation issues. An online version of the Conservation Report Card, which contains detailed and updated information about key votes, is available at www.defendersactionfund.org Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization with a segregated Section 527 account. © 2011 Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 1130 17th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Photo: Hawksbill turtle © David Fleetham/naturepl.com FPOCert no. XXX-XXX-000 Printed on 100% post-consumer-waste, process-chlorine-free, recycled paper. he Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund’s 2009-2010 Conservation T Report Card measures the commitment of U.S. senators and representatives to wildlife and habitat conservation during the 111th Congress. It reviews six Senate votes and seven House votes on key conservation issues, providing a clear assessment of how well members of Congress are protecting wildlife and wild lands for future generations. The2009-2010 Conservation Report Card covers votes on important issues such as protecting polar bears, the world’s imperiled wild feline and canine species, and California sea otters; safeguarding wildlife and habitat in sensitive borderlands; addressing the impacts of climate change on wildlife; regulating greenhouse gas emissions; upholding the Endangered Species Act; and drilling for oil off our coasts. Use this report card to examine what your elected representatives are doing to conserve our natural heritage for our children and grandchildren. A more detailed online version, updated after every key vote, is available at: www.defendersactionfund.org. 1 Undermining the Endangered Species Act and Polar Bear Protections The Senate rejected an amendment that would have delayed the administrative reversal of Bush administration rule changes that weakened the Endangered Species Act and limited protections for the listed polar bear. (March 5, 2009, Roll Call No. 82) 2 Walling Off Sensitive Borderlands and Wildlife The Senate passed an amendment to the FY 2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that would have required the building of at least 700 miles of reinforced fencing and doubled the number of miles of wall along the Southwest border. (July 8, 2009, Roll Call No. 220) 3 Attacking the Endangered Species Act The Senate rejected a motion that would have prevented the implementation of two biological opinions protecting endangered and threatened salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, delta smelt and orcas in California under the Endangered Species Act. (September 22, 2009, Senate Roll Call No. 292) 4 Expanding Offshore Drilling The Senate rejected a motion to expedite drilling in long-protected waters along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. (September 23, 2009, Senate Roll Call No. 293) 2 Conservation Report Card 2009-2010 SENATE key issues & votes 5 Harming Borderlands Wildlife by Requiring More Walls The Senate rejected a motion to suspend Senate procedures and permit consideration of a harmful 2010 Supplemental Appropriations Act amendment that would require at least 700 miles of reinforced fencing along the Southwest border. The fencing would replace the more wildlife-compatible vehicle barriers that now form about half of the existing border wall. (May 27, 2010, Roll Call No. 172) 6 Blocking EPA from Regulating Greenhouse Gas Pollution The Senate rejected a resolution that would have prevented the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air Act to protect the nation from the dramatic impacts of climate change. (June 10, 2010, Roll Call No. 184) REPORT CARD LEGEND Code Value + Voted For Conservation - Voted Against Conservation P Voted Present NV Did Not Vote NA Not In Office 100% Always Voted Pro-Conservation 0% Never Voted Pro-Conservation NOTE: Senators who served a full term received “Incomplete” scores if they missed more than 25% of the key votes. Senators who served a partial term did not receive “Incomplete” scores unless they missed more than 25% of the key votes while they were in office. SENATE key votes 1 Undermining the Endangered Species Act and Polar Bear Protections 2 Walling Off Sensitive Borderlands and Wildlife 3 Attacking the Endangered Species Act 4 Expanding Offshore Drilling 5 Harming Borderlands Wildlife by Requiring More Walls 6 Blocking EPA from Regulating Greenhouse Gas Pollution 1 2 3 4 5 6 SCORE ALABAMA Richard C. Shelby R - - - - - - 0% Jeff Sessions R NV - - - - - 0% ALASKA Lisa A. Murkowski R - + - - - - 17% Mark Begich D - + + - + + 67% ARIZONA John McCain R - - - - - - 0% Jon L. Kyl R - - - - - - 0% ARKANSAS Blanche Lincoln D - - NV + NV - 25% Mark L. Pryor D + - + + + - 67% CALIFORNIA Dianne Feinstein D + - + + + + 83% Barbara Boxer D + - + + + + 83% COLORADO Mark Udall D + + + + + + 100% Michael Bennet D + + + + + + 100% CONNECTICUT Christopher J. Dodd D + + + + + + 100% Joseph I. Lieberman I + + + + + + 100% DELAWARE Thomas R. Carper D + + + + + + 100% Edward E. Kaufman D + + + + + + 100% Christopher Coons D NA NA NA NA NA NA Incomplete FLORIDA Bill Nelson D + - + + + + 83% Mel Martinez R - + NA NA NA NA 50% George LeMieux R NA NA - - - - 0% 4 Conservation Report Card 2009-2010 VOTE + VOTED WITH US NV DID NOT VOTE 100% ALWAYS VOTED PRO-CONSERVATION - VOTED AGAINST US NA NOT IN OFFICE 0% NEVER VOTED PRO-CONSERVATION GUIDE P VOTED PRESENT 1 2 3 4 5 6 SCORE GEORGIA Saxby Chambliss R - - - - NV - 0% Johnny Isakson R - - - - - - 0% HAWAII Daniel K. Inouye D + + + + + + 100% Daniel K. Akaka D + + + + + + 100% IDAHO Michael D. Crapo R - - - - - - 0% James E. Risch R - - - - - - 0% ILLINOIS Richard J. Durbin D + + + + + + 100% Roland Burris D + + + + + + 100% Mark Steven Kirk R NA NA NA NA NA NA Incomplete INDIANA Richard G. Lugar R - + - - - - 17% Evan Bayh D + - + + - - 50% IOWA Charles E. Grassley R - - - - - - 0% Tom Harkin D + + + + + + 100% KANSAS Sam Brownback R - - - - - - 0% Pat Roberts R - - - - - - 0% KENTUCKY Mitch McConnell R - - - - - - 0% Jim Bunning R - - - - - - 0% LOUISIANA Mary L. Landrieu D NV - + + - - 40% David Vitter R - - - - - - 0% defendersactionfund.org 5 SENATE key votes 1 Undermining the Endangered Species Act and Polar Bear Protections 2 Walling Off Sensitive Borderlands and Wildlife 3 Attacking the Endangered Species Act 4 Expanding Offshore Drilling 5 Harming Borderlands Wildlife by Requiring More Walls 6 Blocking EPA from Regulating Greenhouse Gas Pollution 1 2 3 4 5 6 SCORE MAINE Olympia J. Snowe R - - + - - - 17% Susan M. Collins R - + + - - - 33% MARYLAND Barbara A. Mikulski D + + + + + + 100% Benjamin L. Cardin D + + + + + + 100% MASSACHUSETTS John F. Kerry D + + + + + + 100% Edward Kennedy D NV NV NA NA NA NA Incomplete Paul G. Kirk D NA NA NA NA NA NA Incomplete Scott P. Brown R NA NA NA NA - - 0% MICHIGAN Carl Levin D + + + + + + 100% Debbie Stabenow D + - + + + + 83% MINNESOTA Amy Klobuchar D + - + + + + 83% Al Franken D NA + + + + + 100% MISSISSIPPI Thad Cochran R - + - - - - 17% Roger F. Wicker R - - - - - - 0% MISSOURI Christopher S. Bond R - - - - - - 0% Claire McCaskill D + - + + NV + 80% MONTANA Max Baucus D + - + + - + 67% Jon Tester D + - + + - + 67% NEBRASKA E. Benjamin Nelson D - - + - - - 17% Mike Johanns R NV - - - - - 0% 6 Conservation Report Card 2009-2010 VOTE + VOTED WITH US NV DID NOT VOTE 100% ALWAYS VOTED PRO-CONSERVATION - VOTED AGAINST US NA NOT IN OFFICE 0% NEVER VOTED PRO-CONSERVATION GUIDE P VOTED PRESENT 1 2 3 4 5 6 SCORE NEVADA Harry Reid D + + + + + + 100% John Ensign R - + - - - - 17% NEW HAMPSHIRE Judd Gregg R - - - - - - 0% Jeanne Shaheen D + + + + + + 100% NEW JERSEY Frank Lautenberg D + + + + + + 100% Robert Menendez D + + + + + + 100% NEW MEXICO Jeff Bingaman D + + + + + + 100% Tom Udall D + + + + + + 100% NEW YORK Charles E. Schumer D + - + + + + 83% Kirsten E. Gillibrand D + + + + + + 100% NORTH CAROLINA Richard Burr R - - - - - - 0% Kay R. Hagan D + + + + + + 100% NORTH DAKOTA Kent Conrad D NV - + + + + 80% Byron L. Dorgan D + - + + + + 83% OHIO George V. Voinovich R - + + - + - 50% Sherrod Brown D + + + + + + 100% OKLAHOMA James M. Inhofe R - - - - - - 0% Thomas A. Coburn R - - - - - - 0% defendersactionfund.org 7 SENATE key votes 1 Undermining the Endangered Species Act and Polar Bear Protections 2 Walling Off Sensitive Borderlands and Wildlife 3 Attacking the Endangered Species Act 4 Expanding Offshore Drilling 5 Harming Borderlands Wildlife by Requiring More Walls 6 Blocking EPA from Regulating Greenhouse Gas Pollution 1 2 3 4 5 6 SCORE OREGON Ron Wyden D + - + + + + 83% Jeffrey Merkley D + - + + + + 83% PENNSYLVANIA Arlen Specter D - - + + + + 67% Robert P. Casey D + + + + + + 100% RHODE ISLAND Jack Reed D + + + + + + 100% Sheldon Whitehouse D + + + + + + 100% SOUTH CAROLINA Lindsey O. Graham R - - - - - - 0% Jim DeMint R - - - - - - 0% SOUTH DAKOTA Tim P. Johnson D + + + + + + 100% John Thune R - - - - - - 0% TENNESSEE Lamar Alexander R - - + - - - 17% Bob Corker R - - -