For Immediate Release:
August 19, 2008
Contact:
Dena Mottola Jaborska, Cell: 609-540-6609
How Did They Vote? Environment New Jersey Releases
Congressional Scorecards; Applauds Environmental Champions
NJ Congressional Delegation Stronger Than National Average, But Votes on Clean
Energy and Global Warming Await; Sen. Menendez and Lautenberg Amass Perfect Scores
:
Trenton – A majority of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation voted for the environment 100% of the
time in the 110th Congress in a bipartisan manner, according to the annual Congressional Scorecard on
major environmental issues released today by Environment New Jersey. New Jersey’s two U.S. Senators,
Sen. Bob Menendez and Sen. Frank Lautenberg received repeat 100% perfect scores on the 10 Senate
environmental votes ranked.
“New Jersey’s Senators and a majority of our Congressmen time and again have stood up for the
environment and pushed real clean energy solutions for our energy crisis,” said Dena Mottola Jaborska,
Environment New Jersey’s executive director. “Being green in the Garden State is a bipartisan issue
and we applaud our delegation’s environmental heroes, especially the leadership from Sen. Menendez
and Sen. Lautenberg.”
New Jersey Congressmen who scored 100% on the scorecard for the 13 House votes included Rep. Rob
Andrews (D-1), Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2), Rep. Chris Smith (R-4), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6), Rep. Bill
Pascrell (D-8), Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9), Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) and Rep. Albio Sires (D-13).
The rest of the delegation had a range of scores, except for Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5), who once again
received the worst score, with 8%. The average score was 83% among the House delegation, well above
the national average of 58%.
More of the votes that were officially scored were solution-oriented votes. The scorecard tracked key
environmental votes to protect the purity of our air and water; reduce global warming pollution;
promoting clean, renewable energy through tax credits; stand up against off-shore drilling; and increase
mileage standards for vehicles.
“More and more, people are realizing that caring for the environment by transitioning to low-cost,
modern, advanced energy not only protects the natural treasures we have right here in the Garden State,
but it also cuts down on our energy bills and creates new jobs,” said U.S. Senator Robert Menendez .
“Addressing climate change is not just about polar ice caps in Greenland and carbon in the atmosphere,
it’s about protecting places like the Jersey Shore for our children and grandchildren and laying the
groundwork now to have clean, low-cost energy sources for the future. This is a glass-half-full moment -we should seize it and make the right energy choices for our planet, our economy and for future
generations.”
"Over the past eight years, the Bush Administration has staged an assault on the environmental
protections that provide us with the clean air and water we need. Together, we have fought hard against
the special interests to win major battles in the effort to protect our environment, and I stand ready for the
fights to come," US Senator Frank R. Lautenberg said, “I am proud to receive such a positive rating
from
Environment New Jersey and am eager to continuing to work together to preserve our planet, tackle
global warming and create the smart, clean energy policies our country needs."
The scorecard also demonstrates the major shift in the types of legislation being addressed in the 110th
Congress. In the last year of the previous Congress (2006), 71 percent of environmental votes scored
were defensive in nature. Environment New Jersey found that new leadership in the 110th Congress, and
a much higher priority placed on environmental protection, led to 64 percent of the votes prioritized by
Environment New Jersey being solution-oriented.
With the help of our Senators and congressmen, the 110th Congress is making progress in several key
areas. Already, the House of Representatives has voted to cut billions of dollars in subsidies to big oil
and the Senate has voted to raise gas mileage standards for the first time in over 20 years.
Congress has also repeatedly brought up votes to extend clean energy tax credits for wind and solar
energy companies, that have passed the House, but been stymied by Republican filibusters in the Senate.
“We must work to break our dependence on foreign oil and increase our commitment to clean,
homegrown energy, while protecting our natural resources,” said Rep. Steve Rothman, (D-9).
As gas prices have skyrocketed this year, the oil industry and President Bush have renewed their efforts
to extend off-shore drilling and put the Jersey Shore at risk. The President’s own Department of Energy
has said the effort would have an insignificant impact on gas prices, and New Jersey’s Congressional
environmental leaders have continued to stand up for the Shore.
“While we must move aggressively to address the energy issue, we must do so in an environmentally-safe
manner. Nationally and here in South Jersey, we must seek out common-sense initiatives such as
conservation, wind and solar energy, and fuel efficient technology,” said Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2).
Environment New Jersey is distributing the individual Congressional scorecards to households across
New Jersey as part of its door-to-door global warming campaign.
From curbing global warming through cleaner fuels and renewable resources to protecting our clean
water supplies and oceans, we must work to ensure that our environment remains a priority,” said
Congressman Albio Sires (D-13).
The scorecards also list information about campaign contributions, biographical data, past Environment
New Jersey scores, and telephone numbers for citizens to contact their elected officials.
“I will continue my work to reduce dangers of climate change, to preserve open space, to protect national
parks, to invest in alternative sources of energy, and to reduce the exposure of children to environmental
hazards,” said Rep. Rush Holt (D-12).
Over the course of the next few months, Congress will once again face the challenge of extending clean
energy tax credits and working to protect the Shore from off-shore drilling, and will hopefully take strong
science-based legislation to reduce global warming emissions.
““We urge other members of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to join with these environmental
heroes and fight for real clean energy solutions that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil without
destroying our environment. New Jersey should be proud of its environmental champions who stick up
for the Garden State in Washington,” Mottola Jaborska concluded.
30-30-30-30Environment New Jersey is a nonprofit, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization.
Environment New Jersey’s 110th Congressional Scorecards Summary Of Key Environmental Votes.
Citizens can view the full scorecard on our website at:
http://www.environmentnewjersey.org
Rep. Robert Andrews (D-1):
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2):
Rep. Jim Saxton (R-3):
Rep. Chris Smith (R-4):
Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5):
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6):
Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-7):
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8):
Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9):
Rep. Donald Payne (D-10):
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11):
Rep. Rush Holt (D-12):
Rep. Albio Sires (D-13):
100%
100%
69%
100%
8%
100%
77%
100%
100%
69%
54%
100%
100%