Today, Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) released the Vermont Congressional delegation’s scores for the League of Conservation Voters’ 2024 National Environmental Scorecard, which highlights our state’s leaders’ work to protect our environment and democracy. Since 1970, LCV’s Scorecard has been the primary tool for evaluating the environmental records of members of Congress. It is available for download at: scorecard.lcv.org
The 2024 Scorecard shows how Vermont’s delegation fought back against attacks on our democracy and environmental protections. In stark contrast to Vermont’s members of Congress, for the second year in a row, extreme Republicans in the House of Representatives embraced chaos. They pushed messaging bills and radical amendments on government funding that were so harmful their own leadership pulled them on more than one occasion — resulting in the least productive Congress in recent history.
Vermont’s delegation stood up for our values, voting against cuts to clean energy investments and a House Republican agenda that catered to Big Polluters and corporate interests. Despite intentional gridlock caused by the most extreme members of the House, our senators continued to confirm strong, well-qualified federal judges, more than any other president and Senate in a recent four-year period.
“Vermonters should be proud to have leaders who stand up against big polluters and attacks on our environment – and have the scores to show for it,” said Dan Fingas, VCV Executive Director. “Last year we saw our federal delegation continue to lead on climate and environmental issues including continuing to work to get Vermont federal dollars for solar and green infrastructure. With recent attempts to ban clean energy, and raise energy costs for everyday people, we know Senator Sanders, Senator Welch, and Representative Balint are working every day to protect our air and water and build a clean energy future for all Vermonters. We know the stakes are high. Here at home, we have to protect against attacks from Governor Phil Scott and Republican members of the legislature to roll back the landmark climate progress we’ve achieved, while seeing that the policies we’ve helped pass are effective and supported. We need leaders like Vermont’s to hold the line for us in Montpelier and in Congress.”
“2024 saw the most extreme members of the House Republicans again manufacturing wasteful, cruel chaos at the expense of the health and safety of our environment, our democracy, and our economy,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Tiernan Sittenfeld. “Unfortunately, we must look at 2024’s mostly fruitless attempts to provide more giveaways to Big Oil and other polluters while leaving communities across the country less safe as a trial run for what Trump and his captured Congressional leadership will do in 2025.”
For the third year, the 2024 Scorecard highlights the leadership of the Tri-Caucus. Leadership of the Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) scored an average of 97% on the 2024 Scorecard. These champions in Congress led and supported many of the climate, conservation, environmental justice, and equitable democracy bills and initiatives in 2024, in addition to helping to educate constituents and connect communities to the transformational investments within the affordable clean energy plan.
Vermont continues to be affected by catastrophic flooding. We know if we do not protect the progress we have made and keep working in our own communities, these problems will only get worse for Vermonters.
This year, the 2024 Scorecard includes eight Senate votes, half of which were confirmations of qualified, diverse judges and other nominees and half were attacks on environmental protections. In the House, LCV scored 33 votes, 14 of which were poison pill policy amendments on government funding bills or the extreme underlying bills themselves, two of which were using or further weaponizing the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to block environmental safeguards, and the rest undermined programs and laws that advance a safe climate, environment, and democracy.
Vermont’s federal delegation’s scores for 2024 are:
Senator Bernie Sanders (I) – 88% (91% lifetime)
Senator Peter Welch (D) – 100% (95% lifetime)
Representative Becca Balint (D) – 100% (99% lifetime)
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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 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.