Oregon in DC: How the state rates in LCV's latest national environmental scorecard

The national League of Conservation Voters today released their environmental scorecard rating the 2009 environmental performances of the nation’s senators and representatives in Congress. Naturally, we all want to know how the Oregon congressional delegation scored in a year when they were asked to vote for clean energy, clean air and water, public lands conservation and other key environmental initiatives.

Overall, they did well, with four of Oregon’s seven Congressmen scoring 100 percent, while one—Rep. Walden (R)—fell far below the House average with a lowly 43 percent. (If you really can’t wait to see the scores, scroll down.)

It is worth noting that nationwide, the first environmental scores to come out after the 2008 election proved to be significantly higher than those from the previous year. In fact, 51 senators earned a perfect 100 percent score, more perfect scores than the previous three years combined. In the House, 140 members earned a perfect 100 percent score, almost three times the average for the past five years.

Such success illustrates the extent to which the Obama administration and the 111th Congress made progress toward a new energy future that will create new jobs, make America more energy independent, and curb global-warming pollution.

It also shows why the election work that LCV did in 2008 was so important. Each of the six new senators endorsed by LCV in 2008 earned a perfect 100 percent in 2009. In sharp contrast, the six senators they replaced had an average lifetime score of just two percent. In the House, the 22 LCV-endorsed members of the class of 2008 earned an average score of 90 percent in 2009, whereas the members they replaced had an average lifetime score of 34 percent.

So, what was scored? Most of the 11 Senate and 13 House votes included the most important environmental, energy and public health legislation considered in 2009, and the corresponding voting records of all members of Congress. Read more about the bills scored in the LCV Scorecard.

While the average score in the U.S. Senate was 64 percent in 2009, Senators Jeff Merkley (D) and Ron Wyden (D) scored 100 percent. Oregon joins 19 other states whose senate scores averaged 100 percent in 2009.

Oregon’s House Representatives also did well. While the average House score in 2009 was 60 percent, three of Oregon’s five scored more than 90 percent. Here’s the breakdown in the House:

• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D): 100
• Rep. Peter DeFazio (D): 79
• Rep. Kurt Schrader (D): 93
• Rep. Greg Walden (R): 43
• Rep. David Wu (D): 100

One of the House votes scored was legislation introduced by Oregon’s own Rep. Kurt Schrader (D). Schrader's bill, which passed the House last November 292-133, proposed federal protections to 21.3 miles of the Molalla River under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

While a range of other environmental bills were also scored, the standout accomplishment in the House was passing the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act last summer with a bipartisan vote of 219-212.  This vote marked the first time that comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation passed either chamber of Congress. While not perfect, this bill would reduce global warming pollution 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.

And that means jobs. From spurring local wind and solar businesses to the growing the business of retrofitting houses and businesses around the state for energy conservation, ACES would help create 1.7 million new clean-energy jobs around the country, including nearly 21,000 jobs good-paying jobs in Oregon that can never be outsourced.

LCV saw this bill as so monumental, it was double-scored in the Scorecard. Unfortunately, two of Oregon’s representatives, Peter DeFazio (D) and Greg Walden (R), voted against this critical legislation. It is worth noting that since the historic House vote, this bill has faced an unprecedented smear campaign launched by oil, gas and special interests dedicated only to protecting corporate profit. More than $160 million was spent to defeat this bill last year.

Reps. DeFazio and Walden both also voted against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which ultimately passed both chambers and included the single largest investment in clean energy in history – more than $80 billion for energy efficiency, renewable energy, public transit, high-speed rail and clean energy jobs.

Such disappointing votes highlight another theme that goes right alongside the big successes of 2009: There is more work to do. Check out the LCV Scorecard.