A Congressional Report Card for the 99%

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CO-AUTHORS Sarah Anderson Chuck Collins Scott Klinger Sam Pizzigati RESEARCHER Brent Soloway

Release date: October 3, 2012

About the Authors

Sarah Anderson directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and has co-authored the 19 IPS annual Executive Excess reports on the divide between CEO and worker pay. Chuck Collins, an Institute for Policy Studies senior scholar, directs the IPS Program on Inequality and the Common Good. He is the author of 99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality Is Wrecking the World and What We Can Do about It (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). Scott Klinger, an Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow, crafted the first shareholder proposals on executive pay while working as a social investment portfolio manager. He has also written extensively on corporate tax avoidance. Scott is a CFA charterholder. Sam Pizzigati, an IPS associate fellow, is the author of the upcoming The Rich Dont Always Win: The triumph over plutocracy that created the American middle class (Seven Stories Press). He also edits Too Much, an online weekly newsletter on excess and inequality and writes a weekly column distributed by the OtherWords editorial service.

The Institute for Policy Studies (IPS-DC.org) is a community of public scholars and organizers linking peace, justice, and the environment in the United States and globally. We work with social movements to promote true democracy and challenge concentrated wealth, corporate influence, and military power. 2012 Institute for Policy Studies Institute for Policy Studies 1112 16th St. NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: 202 234-9382, Fax: 202 387-7915 Web: www.ips-dc.org, Twitter: @IPS_DC Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InstituteforPolicyStudies Email: sarah@ips-dc.org

Table of Contents
Key Findings 1 Overview.. 2

About Our Inequality Report Card. 3 The Dishonor Roll: The Most 1% Friendly Members of Congress 4 Overall Democrats Box: Investing in Inequality: Who Funds the Failing 48? The Honor Roll: The Most 99% Friendly Members of Congress 8 Democrats Republicans Box: How the Wealthiest Members of Congress Rate Appendix 1: Inequality-related actions taken in the 112th Congress ....... 11 Appendix 2: Member of Congress grades and state delegation inequality GPAs in the 212th Congress (2011-2012)......... 17 Appendix 3: State delegation grades compared to state poverty and economic inequality (Gini coefficient) rankings. 25 Appendix 4: Methodology and sources ..... 27

Key Findings
In preparing this inequality report card, we examined 24 legislative actions in the U.S. House of Representatives and 16 in the U.S. Senate, actions that touched everything from taxes and budget priorities to education and housing. Among the data highlights: Republicans dominate the report cards dishonor roll. They make up the entire list of the 48 representatives and 11 senators with an F grade. Not all Democrats distinguish themselves as champions of greater equality. Seventeen lawmakers who caucus with the Democrats rate only at the C level. Arkansas had the worst grade point average among the members of their congressionaldelegation, earning a GPA of only 0.7 out of a possible 4.0. The most 99% friendly state: Vermont. The Green Mountain states two senators and one House member brought home straight As for a 4.0 GPA. Of the 10 states with the nations most uneven distribution of income, according to just-released Census data, only one Massachusetts has senators and representatives with a composite average A level score None of the 11 senators earning an F grade come from any of the nations five most equal states, as rated by the new Census figures. Of the 48 members of the House of Representatives with failing grades, only one Republican Jason Chaffetz of Utah comes from one of the nations five most equal states. The 10 wealthiest Democrats in Congress all have generally 99% friendly legislative records. None have lower than a B for their work the last two years. None of the 10 richest Republicans in Congress, by contrast, rate higher than a C- grade, a rating that marks them as distinctly 1% friendly. Within each chamber of Congress, Republicans orient themselves much closer to a strong 1% friendly agenda than Democrats orient themselves to a strong 99% friendly agenda.

Overview

year ago, thousands of Americans concerned about our nations deep and growing concentration of income and wealth occupied Wall Street and public squares in communities all across the nation. In a matter of weeks, America had a vivid new framework for discussing and debating how and why the United States had become the most unequal major developed nation on the face of the earth. One year later, this new frame the 1% and the 99% remains as relevant as ever. Indeed, the Census Bureau reported earlier this month that Americas top 1 percent of households saw their incomes rise about 6 percent in 2011, a year when the vast majority of the nations households saw their real incomes shrink. Our growing economic divide in America did not just happen. No natural disasters or unavoidable dips in the business cycle have created our contemporary top-heavy America. We have become a fundamentally more unequal nation over recent decades largely because those who write the economys rules have rigged those rules to ensure that wealth and income flow to the top, at the expense of everyone else. Congress more than any other institution in American life has responsibility for the rules that determine how our economy operates. Our lawmakers define tax and trade policy. They decide who gains and who loses when budget dollars get spent. They approve and disapprove the regulations that shape every aspect of our marketplaces. Members of Congress, in other words, have the capacity to make sure that all Americans, not just a privileged few, share in the wealth that we all together create. How well are current members of Congress exercising their considerable power? We have compiled this first annual inequality report card to answer that question. Weve identified a series of telling legislative actions taken over the past two years that relate to inequality. Some of these actions sought to enhance the life chances of our 99 percent. Others aimed to feather the nest of Americas most affluent 1 percent. Those members of Congress who serve this 1 percent are failing America. In this report card, we have given these most reliable friends of the fortunate a grade of F. Those members of Congress who have resisted the entreaties of our wealthy and who have shown themselves consistently sensitive to the well-being of everyone else have earned an A grade in this scorecard. How many members of Congress are failing? Far too many. Our inequality report card gives an F to 48 lawmakers in the House our Failing Forty-Eight and eleven more in the United States Senate. But our new report card also finds reason for optimism as well. We draw hope for the future from the many creative ideas for restoring fairness now percolating on Capitol Hill. These new ideas many highlighted in our inequality scorecard challenge the political line we hear looping endlessly from apologists for our staggeringly unequal status quo, the oftenasserted notion that austerity stands as our only viable option. This new inequality report card offers Americas voters a new lens for scoping out the handiwork of the lawmakers who represent us. Our hope: that Americans come to see the

actions lawmakers take on our economic divide as a critically important indicator of our future well-being. With a Congress full of lawmakers who rate a solid A grade on issues around the distribution of income and wealth, we all stand a better chance of winning.

About Our Inequality Report Card

In preparing this inequality report card, weve examined 24 legislative actions in the U.S. House of Representatives and 16 in the U.S. Senate. Weve looked at a range of issues, everything from taxes and budget priorities to support for affordable education and protecting Americas family homes. Some bills that we grade lawmakers on in this report card like the House and Senate votes on extending the Bush tax cuts for wealthy Americans will be familiar to many voters. But we also examine legislative initiatives that have gone largely unnoticed, yet still significantly impact our growing economic divide. One factor complicates the individual lawmaker focus we aim to provide with this new inequality report card. Congress today typically votes in lockstep party blocs. To avoid a report card that simply gives almost all Republicans one grade and almost all Democrats another, weve graded members of Congress on more than just recorded votes on bills. We have taken into account legislative actions the introduction and co-sponsorship of bills that reflect more individual lawmaker initiative. This broader focus, we believe, can help us ascertain both the true champions of a more equitable society and those most dedicated to the care and feeding of our plutocracy. We base this report cards letter grades, from A+ to F, on point scores. For each recorded vote, we give one point for supporting the 99% and greater economic equality and take away one point for actions that cheer the 1% and deepen inequality. For bills introduced but not yet voted upon, we grant a full point to the bills chief sponsor and half-points to legislators who sign on as co-sponsors. We assign positive points, on these actions, for bills that reduce inequality, negative points for introducing or co-sponsoring bills that exacerbate inequality. We include only bills that have at least five co-sponsors in the Senate and 20 co-sponsors in the House. (For a more detailed explanation of our grading system, see Appendix 5) Based on these point totals and resulting grades, our Institute for Policy Studies report card identifies the Most 1% Friendly and Most 99% Friendly members of Congress overall, as well as the Most 1% Friendly Republicans and Democrats and the Most 99% Friendly Republicans and Democrats. To ensure that lawmakers who fail to vote on particular bills do not skew our results, we have excluded from our final grade tallies any member of Congress who missed more than one recorded vote on an issue area we cover. This approach led us to exclude two senators and 25 representatives from our rankings.

The Dishonor Roll: The Most 1% Friendly Members of Congress

OVERALL RANKINGS

SENATE
These 11 senators rate an F for their legislative activity over the past two years. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) Senator John Boozman (R-AR) Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY) Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) Senator John McCain (R-AZ) Senator John Thune (R-SD) F F F F F F F F F F F

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
These 48 members of the U.S. House of Representatives rate an F for their legislative activity over the past two years. Rep. Sandy Adams (R-FL-24) Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI-1) Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7) Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX-8) Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL-5) Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8) Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY-25) Rep. John Campbell (R-CA-48) Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT-3) Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-4) Rep. Michael Conaway (R-TX-11) Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR-1) Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA-19) F F F F F F F F F F F F F

Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC-2) Rep. John Fleming (R-LA-4) Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ-11) Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-18) Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX-12) Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR-2) Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD-1) Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4) Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-NY-19) Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-4) Rep. James Lankford (R-OK-5) Rep. Robert Latta (R-OH-5) Rep. Billy Long (R-MO-7) Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA-5) Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC-9) Rep. Rich Nugent (R-FL-5) Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-MS-1) Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX-22) Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS-4) Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN-6) Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA-16) Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS-4) Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL-15) Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL- 2) Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-1) Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN-4) Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL-12) Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA-1) Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA-8) Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC-1) Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE-2) Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO-3) Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR-3) Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS-3) Rep. Todd Young (R-IN-9)

F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F

THE MOST 1% FRIENDLY DEMOCRATS

SENATE Within the Senate Democratic Caucus, these 6 senators did the least to narrow Americas economic divide over the past two years.* Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)** Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) C C C C C C

*Note: In his role as majority leader, Senator Harry Reid has twice voted procedurally on bills. He essentially voted on the opposite side of his actual position to preserve his sides parliamentary right to reconsider a failed bill at a later point. We did not count these procedural votes as support for positions Reid opposes. **Senator Lieberman, an Independent, caucuses with the Democrats.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Within the House Democratic Caucus, these 11 members did the least to narrow Americas economic divide over the past two years. Rep. John Barrow (D-GA-12) Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK-2) Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY-6) Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN-2)
#

C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+

Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC-8) Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT-2) Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC-7) # Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY-23) Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR-4) Rep. Timothy Walz (D-MN-1)
#

Representatives Donnelly and McIntyre each missed one recorded vote on the legislative actions on our list.

Investing in Inequality: Who Funds the Failing 48?

Who are the 48 House lawmakers receiving Fs on their Inequality Report Cards really working for? One place to look for an answer: their campaign bank accounts. Two corporate giants, ExxonMobil and Koch Industries, have both aggressively funded the Failing 48. In the current election cycle, ExxonMobil has contributed to 35 of the 48 candidates who earned Fs. Koch Industries invested in 27 of the 48 candidates. Two other leading contributors to the Failing 48: Goldman Sachs, with contributions to 19 of the 48, and technology and defense contractor Honeywell, with eight.

Kochs largest investment in the Failing 48, $89,000, went to Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Republican from Kansas. Reps. Nan Hayworth of New York and Tim Scott of South Carolina were the only two of our Failing 48 to receive contributions from all four leading investors in inequality. Hayworth, the lead sponsor of a bill to repeal the DoddFrank provision that requires corporations to disclose their CEO-median worker pay ratio, received $17,999 from Honeywell, that corporations largest gift.

ExxonMobil made a $10,000 investment in Rep. Dan Benishek from Michigan, its largest investment in inequality.

The Honor Roll: The Most 99% Friendly Members of Congress

DEMOCRATS SENATE
These five members of the Senate Democratic Caucus did the most to narrow Americas economic divide over the past two years. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) Senator Al Franken (D-MN) Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)* Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

*Senator Sanders, an Independent, caucuses with the Democrats.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
These 14 members of the House Democratic Caucus did the most to narrow Americas economic divide over the past two years. Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA-1) Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY-11) Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) Rep. John Conyers (D-MI-14) Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11) Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-7) Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA-4) Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-10) Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-9) Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA-7) Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9) Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA-13) Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA-6) A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

REPUBLICANS SENATE
Within the Senate Republican Caucus, these three senators did the most to narrow Americas economic divide over the past two years. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) C C C

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Within the House Republican Caucus, these nine members did the most to narrow Americas economic divide over the past two years. Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI-3) Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA-8) Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY-28) Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY-13) Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC-3) Rep. Timothy Johnson (R-IL-15) Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID-1) Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH-14) Rep. David McKinley (R-WV-1) C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ C+

The Brady Bunch

Two of the most and least 1% friendly members of Congress just happen to be Bradys. Pennsylvania's Bob Brady earned a grade of A+ on our inequality report card. Kevin Brady of Texas, on the other hand, received the single worst score among all members of the House. Kevin Brady owes his place on the 1% Kevin Brady Bob Brady dishonor roll to his lead sponsorship of a bill to repeal the federal estate tax, a measure that dramatically shifts taxes from the wealthiest 1 percent to everyone else. The Texan has also been a lead sponsor of legislation that would grant a tax holiday to corporations that use tax havens to dodge their U.S. taxes.

How the Wealthiest Members of Congress Rate

The annual salary of members of Congress, $174,000, is more than triple Americas median household income. Lawmaker average net worth, $878,500, runs nearly nine times Americas median family wealth, according to a recent study by the Center for Responsive Politics. How do the wealthiest members of Congress perform on inequality-related legislation? We looked at the ten wealthiest lawmakers from each major party. Member of Congress Ten Wealthiest Democrats Senator John Kerry Senator Mark Warner Senator Jay Rockefeller Senator Richard Blumenthal Rep. Jared Polis Senator Frank Lautenberg Senator Dianne Feinstein Rep. Chellie Pingree Rep. Nancy Pelosi Senator Claire McCaskill Ten Wealthiest Republicans Rep. Michael McCaul Rep. Darrell Issa Rep. Jim Renacci Rep. Vern Buchanan Rep. Diane Black Rep. Rick Berg Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen Senator Bob Corker Senator James Risch Rep. Gary Miller $305 million $141 million $37 million $36 million $25 million $24 million $22 million $20 million $19 million $17 million CD DD CDF CD D $199 million $86 million $83 million $79 million $72 million $57 million $42 million $29 million $26 million $16 million B B AA B A AA B B Wealth Inequality Voting Grade

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Appendix 1: Inequality-related actions taken in the 112th Congress

This report card is based on the following 40 congressional actions, which stand out as having tremendous impact (or potential impact) on economic inequality in America. We look at bills concerning taxes, federal budget expenditures, jobs and wages, education, health care, and poverty. For each action, we indicate which position supports greater inequality and which support reducing inequality in the United States. Symbols: vote or co-sponsorship supports greater inequality: INEQUALITY vote or co-sponsorship supports reduced inequality: INEQUALITY

TAX POLICY
Bush tax cuts (HR 8, S 3412) Few issues have had greater impact on the growing economic divide than the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts. In 2012, the Senate passed legislation that caps tax breaks at each taxpayers first $250,000 of income. The House, meanwhile, passed a bill that extends unlimited Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers. Senate NO, House YES = INEQUALITY Buffett Rule (Paying a Fair Share Act, S 2230, HR 3903) Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has been outspoken in opposing tax policies that leave him with a lower federal tax rate than his secretary. The Paying a Fair Share Act, designed to establish a minimum tax rate for upper-income Americans, failed to survive a Republican-led filibuster in the Senate. The bills House version has 72 co-sponsors. Senate NO = INEQUALITY House co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

Support for declaring a corporate tax holiday on foreign income (co-sponsorship, Foreign Earnings Reinvestment Act, S 1671; Freedom to Invest Act, HR 1834) These bills would allow corporations that have used offshore tax havens to avoid taxes on U.S. profits to return those funds to the United States and pay little or nothing in taxes. Revenues from U.S. corporate income taxes currently stand at a 50-year low, even as corporate profits are peaking at a 50-year high. The Senate bill has 11 co-sponsors, the House bill 109. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY Ending abuse of offshore tax havens (Doggett Amendment to Transportation Bill Conference Report, attaching special measures provision of Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act; co-sponsorship, Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act, S 1346) Tax haven abuse by wealthy individuals and enormously profitable corporations costs the U.S. Treasury $150 billion per year. The Doggett Amendment would provide the U.S. Treasury with special measures to go after banks and other

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financial institutions that aid these transactions. The Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act would undertake a range of actions, including the special measures mentioned above, in closing tax haven loopholes. The legislation has seven Senate co-sponsors. NO on Doggett Amend. = INEQUALITY Co-sponsorship of Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act = INEQUALITY Eliminating the ability of corporations to register intellectual property abroad for the purpose of avoiding U.S. taxes (co-sponsorship, Offshoring Prevention Act, S 45) This bill would alter the method for determining the income of foreign controlled corporations by including imported property income and reduce the ability of U.S. corporations to avoid their taxes. The legislation has eight co-sponsors in the Senate. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY Eliminating tax subsidies for oil companies (Repeal Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act, S 2204) This bill would end many of the billiondollar subsidies for Americas most profitable industry. A NO vote = INEQUALITY Using small business tax relief as a pretext for cutting the tax bills of Americas wealthiest (Small Business Tax Cut Act, HR 9) This bill purports to cut small business taxes. The legislation provides its greatest tax relief to Americas wealthiest families. A YES vote = INEQUALITY

Permanently eliminating the federal estate tax (co-sponsorship, Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act, HR 1259 and S 2242) The century-old estate tax has historically helped limit the concentration of wealth in America. Less than 1 percent of Americans currently have enough wealth to have an estate tax liability at death. These bills would eliminate the estate tax and relax the related federal gift tax. The House bill has 220 co-sponsors; the Senate version has 37 co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY Taxing Wall Street speculation to fund job creation (Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act, cosponsorship of HR 4277) This bill would tax stock and bond trades on Wall Street to finance a fund to create jobs in affordable housing, energy conservation, infrastructure repair, education, and human services. This legislation has 59 co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

BUDGET PRIORITIES
Budget legislation that slashes social programs that help working families, while cutting taxes for the most prosperous individuals and most powerful corporations (Paul Ryan FY 2013 Budget, H Con Res 34, Senate Vote) The Ryan budget cuts programs that benefit the 99 percent to offset bountiful tax cuts for the 1 percent. The Ryan budget passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate. A YES vote = INEQUALITY

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Budget legislation that invests in America and protects social programs by reducing military spending and raising taxes on the wealthy and speculative investments (The Peoples Budget Amendment to H Con Res 112) This bill, offered as a substitute amendment to the Ryan budget above, would eliminate tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and subsidies and loopholes for profitable corporations, while preserving and extending programs for working families. A NO vote = INEQUALITY Preserving military spending by cutting food stamps and other programs serving poor Americans (Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act, HR 5652) This bill seeks to change the Sequestration Agreement Congress passed in 2010 to address the impasse over the federal debt ceiling. Under that agreement, social programs and military spending would be equally cut if Congress failed to agree on spending cuts that meet deficit targets before the end of the current Congress. This bill would eliminate mandatory cuts to defense spending and replace them with even more draconian cuts to social programs, including food stamps. A YES vote = INEQUALITY.

inflation. The legislation has 113 House co-sponsors and 16 in the Senate. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY Fund $50 billion infrastructure rebuilding effort (American Jobs Act, S 1660, cosponsorship of HR 12) This bill would create a $50 billion fund to invest in American infrastructure, strengthen Buy America provisions in federal procurement rules, and establish incentives to encourage lending to small businesses. A NO vote on the Senate bill =
INEQUALITY

Co-sponsorship of the House bill =

INEQUALITY

Using job creation as excuse for weakening SECs ability to reduce fraud (Jumpstart Our Businesses Start-Up Act, HR 3606; Senate vote) This bill uses the promise of job creation as a foil for weakening investor protection against fraud. The legislation reduces the power of the SEC and erodes protections provided by the Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley reforms. A YES vote = INEQUALITY Protect prevailing community wages (Amendment to Eliminate Prevailing Wage Provisions of Davis-Bacon Act, King Amendment 273 to HR 1) Since 1931, the Davis-Bacon Act has required that prevailing community wages be paid for public works jobs. Tax dollars should not be used to erode wage levels. A YES vote = INEQUALITY

JOBS/WAGES
Increase the minimum wage and index future increases to inflation (co-sponsorship, Fair Minimum Wage Act, HR 6211, S 3453) This bill would increase the minimum wage to $9.80 an hour over two years, then index the minimum wage to

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Requiring federally funded water infrastructure project to use Americanmade products (co-sponsorship, Keep American Jobs from Going Down the Drain Act, HR 1684) This bill would require that materials used in federally funded water and sewer programs originate in the United States. This legislation has 38 cosponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY Prevent wage discrimination against women (Paycheck Fairness Act, S 3220; cosponsorship of House version, HR 1519) This bill addresses the lingering wage disparity between men and women performing the same jobs. It amends existing law to allow workers to freely share salary information with one another and to prohibit retaliation against workers raising gender-based pay concerns. The legislation has 196 co-sponsors in the House. A NO vote on Senate bill =
INEQUALITY

Reducing the ability of the National Labor Relations Board to protect unionized workers (Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act, HR 2587) This bill, also known as the Boeing bill and the Outsourcers Bill of Rights, would bar the NLRB from intervening in all matters pertaining to plant closings and employee transfer and relocation. The bill undermines workers rights and impedes the duty of the NLRB to assure that workers are treated fairly. A YES vote = INEQUALITY Stripping the National Labor Relations Board of power to protect workers right to organize (Senate resolution disapproving of National Labor Relations Board rule allowing for expedited union formation, S J Res 36) This bill expresses the sense of the Senate about a new National Labor Relations Rule seeking to update and modernize union elections. The United States has the weakest labor protections of any developed nation. A YES vote = INEQUALITY Removing protection of overtime and minimum wage laws for skilled workers in technology industries (co-sponsorship, Computer Professionals Update Act, S 1747) This bill would grant a blanket exemption from overtime and minimum wage requirements for skilled workers in tech industry. Many hourly tech workers face deadlines that necessitate overtime work. This bill would strip them of their right to be paid time and a half. This bill has eight co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

Co-sponsorship of House bill =

INEQUALITY

Protecting U.S. call center employees from having their jobs shipped offshore (co-sponsorship, Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act, HR 3596) This bill would require firms moving call center jobs overseas to notify the U.S. Department of Labor. Companies that have engaged in moving jobs offshore would not be eligible for federal government grants or loans for five years after offshoring call center jobs. The legislation has 138 co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

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AFFORDABLE EDUCATION
Paying for reductions in student loan interest rates by cutting health care services of low-income Americans (Interest Rate Reduction Act, HR 4628) Supporters of this bill pay for benefits to one group of working Americans with cuts to another vulnerable group, in this case low-income Americans who depend on public health programs. A YES vote = INEQUALITY Protecting financial aid for low- and moderate-income college students from cuts to balance federal budget (co-sponsorship, Senate resolution expressing sense of the Senate that Pell Grants should not be cut to balance the budget, S Res 274) This sense of the Senate resolution expresses support for Pell grants, a vital program for low- and moderate-income college students. This bill has 11 cosponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

Blocking accountability of for-profit universities that trap students into high-debt futures without the prospect of a job after graduating (Kline Amendment to House Budget Resolution, HR 1) Students at for-profit universities make up the vast majority of Americans with delinquent college loans. For-profit schools often saddle students with debt without providing many prospects for a decent job after graduation. The Department of Education put forth rules to limit access to federal college loans for schools with poor job placement records and high levels of student loan default. This amendment would block that rule from being implemented. A YES vote = INEQUALITY

KEEPING FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES

Helping families take advantage of federal loan modification programs (co-sponsorship, Homeowner Advocate Act, S 690) This bill would require the Department of Treasury to establish a program to help homeowners take advantage of federal mortgage modifications. This bill has 14 co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

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Protecting tenant rights when a rented home gets foreclosed (co-sponsorship of Tenant Foreclosure Prevention Act, HR 3619) Temporary legislation has kept thousands of families in their homes who otherwise might have faced eviction. This bill would make that law permanent. The legislation has 24 co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

Providing funding for and creating incentives for low income families to invest in their communities (co-sponsorship, Assets for Independence Reauthorization Act, HR 1623) This bill provides funding for asset development projects in low-income communities. The bill has 40 co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

REDUCING POVERTY
Developing a national plan for dropping poverty by half within ten years (co-sponsorship, Half in Ten Act, HR 3300) This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for cutting poverty in half within ten years. The legislation has 68 co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

Universal affordable health care coverage (co-sponsorship of Expanded and Improved Medicare for All, HR 676) This bill would establish a single-payer national health insurance program covering every American, funded in part through a small tax on stock and bond trades. The bill has 76 co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship = INEQUALITY

The Politics of Inequality, an OtherWords cartoon by Khalil Bendib. OtherWords.org

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Appendix 2: Member of Congress grades and state delegation inequality GPAs in the 212th Congress (2011-2012)
Legend: Republicans are listed in italics. For each state, U.S. Senators are listed first, followed by House of Representatives members with their district number next to their name. AL = at-large members representing the entire state. INC = Incomplete, indicating the legislator missed 2 or more recorded votes. More details on scoring system can be found in Appendix 5. A table listing each legislators voting record and their numerical scores can be found at: http://www.ipsdc.org/reports/inequality-report-card/ ALABAMA D
Sen. Jeff Sessions Sen. Richard Shelby Jo Bonner Martha Roby Mike Rogers Robert Aderholt Mo Brooks Spencer Bachus Terri Sewell 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 GPA

GPA

0.9 D D DF DDF DB+ 2.4 B+ C

ARKANSAS DSen. John Boozman Sen. Mark Pryor Rick Crawford Tim Griffin Steve Womack Mike Ross

GPA

0.7 F C

1 2 3 4 GPA

F F F C+ 2.6 AA-

CALIFORNIA BSen. Barbara Boxer Sen. Dianne Feinstein Mike Thompson Wally Herger Daniel Lungren Tom McClintock Doris Matsui Lynn Woolsey George Miller Nancy Pelosi Barbara Lee John Garamendi Jerry McNerney Jackie Speier Pete Stark Anna Eshoo Mike Honda Zoe Lofgren Sam Farr VACANT Jeff Denham

ALASKA

C+

Sen. Mark Begich Sen. Lisa Murkowski Don Young AL GPA

C 2 D F

ARIZONA C
Sen. Jon Kyl Sen. John McCain Paul Gosar Trent Franks Ben Quayle Ed Pastor David Schweikert Jeff Flake Raul Grijalva Ron Barber

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

INC D+ INC A CC A+ INC

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

B DDC B+ A+ A B A+ B B B A+ B A AA F

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Jim Costa Devin Nunes Kevin McCarthy Lois Capps Elton Gallegly Buck McKeon David Dreier Brad Sherman Howard Berman Adam Schiff Henry Waxman Xavier Becerra Judy Chu Karen Bass Lucille Roybal-Allard Maxine Waters Janice Hahn Laura Richardson Grace Napolitano Linda Snchez Ed Royce Jerry Lewis Gary Miller Joe Baca Ken Calvert Mary Bono Mack Dana Rohrabacher Loretta Sanchez John Campbell Darrell Issa Brian Bilbray Bob Filner Duncan Hunter Susan Davis

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 GPA

BINC D B+ DD DB INC B+ A A A A A A INC A INC A CD D B DD C B F D CINC D B+ 2.2 C+ B

CONNECTICUT B+
Sen. Richard Blumenthal Sen. Joe Lieberman John Larson Joe Courtney Rosa DeLauro Jim Himes Christopher Murphy

GPA

3.3 A C

1 2 3 4 5 GPA

B+ AAB B+ 3 B B

DELAWARE B
Sen. Thomas Carper Sen. Chris Coons John Carney

AL GPA

B 1.6 B+ D

FLORIDA CSen. Bill Nelson Sen. Marco Rubio Jeff Miller Steve Southerland Corrine Brown Ander Crenshaw Richard Nugent Cliff Stearns John Mica Daniel Webster Gus Bilirakis Bill Young Kathy Castor Dennis Ross Vern Buchanan Connie Mack Bill Posey Tom Rooney Frederica Wilson Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ted Deutch Debbie Wasserman Schultz Mario Diaz-Balart Allen West Alcee Hastings Sandy Adams David Rivera

COLORADO C+
Sen. Michael Bennet Sen. Mark Udall Diana DeGette Jared Polis ScottTipton Cory Gardner Doug Lamborn Mike Coffman Ed Perlmutter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

B+ B F CCCB-

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

D+ DA DF DD D DD B F D C F DACA B C DA F C-

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GEORGIA CSen. Saxby Chambliss Sen. Johnny Isakson Jack Kingston Sanford Bishop Lynn Westmoreland Hank Johnson John Lewis Tom Price Robert Woodall Austin Scott Tom Graves Paul Broun Phil Gingrey John Barrow David Scott

GPA

1.8 F F

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 GPA

D B D+ A+ A CC F D+ C D C+ B 3.3 B+ B

Adam Kinzinger Jerry Costello Judy Biggert Randy Hultgren Timothy Johnson Donald Manzullo Bobby Schilling Aaron Schock John Shimkus

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 GPA

CBD+ D+ C+ D D+ CC1.2 D D

INDIANA D+
Sen. Daniel Coats Sen. Richard Lugar Peter Visclosky Joe Donnelly Marlin Stutzman Todd Rokita Dan Burton Mike Pence Andr Carson Larry Bucshon Todd Young

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 GPA

B C+ D F D F A F F 2.3 D A

HAWAII B+
Sen. Daniel Akaka Sen. Daniel Inouye Colleen Hanabusa Mazie Hirono

1 2 GPA

B A1.3 D D

IOWA C+
Sen. Charles Grassley Sen. Tom Harkin Bruce Braley David Loebsack Leonard Boswell Tom Latham Steve King

IDAHO D+
Sen. Mike Crapo Sen. James Risch Raul Labrador Mike Simpson

1 2 GPA

C+ D2.4 A+ INC

ILLINOIS C+
Sen. Dick Durbin Sen. Mark Kirk Bobby Rush Jesse Jackson Daniel Lipinski Luis Gutierrez Mike Quigley Peter Roskam Danny Davis Joe Walsh Jan Schakowsky Robert Dold

1 2 3 4 5 GPA

B BBCD0.8 D C-

KANSAS DSen. Jerry Moran Sen. Pat Roberts Tim Huelskamp Lynn Jenkins Kevin Yoder Mike Pompeo

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

A INC BA B CA C A+ D+

1 2 3 4

D+ D F F

19

KENTUCKY CSen. Mitch McConnell Sen. Rand Paul Ed Whitfield Brett Guthrie John Yarmuth VACANT Harold Rogers Ben Chandler

GPA

1.5 D D

MASSACHUSETTS Sen. Scott Brown Sen. John Kerry John Olver Richard Neal James McGovern Barney Frank Niki Tsongas John Tierney Ed Markey Michael Capuano Stephen Lynch William Keating

A-

GPA

3.5 CB

1 2 3 4 5 6 GPA

C DB DC+ 1.3 B D

LOUISIANA D+
Sen. Mary Landrieu Sen. David Vitter Steve Scalise Cedric Richmond Jeffrey Landry John Fleming Rodney Alexander William Cassidy Charles Boustany

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 GPA

A AA A B+ AA A B+ B+ 2.4 A B+

MICHIGAN C+
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 GPA F B INC F CD D2.8 C C 1 2 GPA AA1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 F B A A B CA B A B 3 Sen. Carl Levin Sen. Debbie Stabenow Dan Benishek Bill Huizenga Justin Amash Dave Camp Dale Kildee Fred Upton Tim Walberg Mike Rogers Gary Peters Candice Miller VACANT Sander Levin Hansen Clarke John Conyers John Dingell

MAINE BSen. Susan Collins Sen. Olympia Snowe Chellie Pingree Michael Michaud

MARYLAND B
Sen. Ben Cardin Sen. Barbara Mikulski Andy Harris Dutch Ruppersberger John Sarbanes Donna Edwards Steny Hoyer Roscoe Bartlett Elijah Cummings Chris Van Hollen

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 GPA

F CC+ D+ A DD+ DB CB A A+ A 2.3 A+ B

MINNESOTA C+
Sen. Al Franken Sen. Amy Klobuchar Timothy Walz John Kline Erik Paulsen Betty McCollum Keith Ellison Michele Bachmann Collin Peterson Chip Cravaack

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

C+ DD INC A D+ BC-

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MISSISSIPPI D
Sen. Thad Cochran Sen. Roger Wicker Alan Nunnelee Bennie Thompson Gregg Harper Steven Palazzo

GPA D D 1 2 3 4 GPA F B DF

NEW HAMPSHIRE CSen. Kelly Ayotte Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Frank Guinta Charles Bass

GPA

1.8 D B+

1 2 GPA

D C 2.8 A B+

NEW JERSEY BSen. Frank Lautenberg Sen. Robert Menendez Robert Andrews Frank LoBiondo Jon Runyan Chris Smith Scott Garrett Frank Pallone Leonard Lance Bill Pascrell Steven Rothman VACANT Rodney Frelinghuysen Rush Holt Albio Sires

MISSOURI CSen. Roy Blunt Sen. Claire McCaskill Lacy Clay Todd Akin Russ Carnahan Vicky Hartzler Emanuel Cleaver Sam Graves Billy Long Jo Ann Emerson Blaine Luetkemeyer

1.8 F B

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 GPA

A INC AF A DF CD1.5 AC

MONTANA CSen. Max Baucus Sen. Jon Tester Dennis Rehberg

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 GPA

AC C C CA CA AF A B2.6 B A-

NEW MEXICO BSen. Jeff Bingaman Sen. Tom Udall Martin Heinrich Steve Pearce Ben Lujn

AL GPA

D+ 0.9 F C 1 2 3 C F D1.8 F B 1 2 3 B INC D+

NEBRASKA D
Sen. Mike Johanns Sen. Ben Nelson Jeff Fortenberry Lee Terry Adrian Smith

1 2 3 GPA

BDB 2.6 A C+

NEW YORK BSen. Kirsten Gillibrand Sen. Chuck Schumer Timothy Bishop Steve Israel Pete King Carolyn McCarthy Gary Ackerman Gregory Meeks Joseph Crowley Jerrold Nadler

NEVADA CSen. Dean Heller Sen. Harry Reid Shelley Berkley Mark Amodei Joe Heck

GPA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

BB CB B INC BA

21

Robert Turner Edolphus Towns Yvette Clarke Nydia Velzquez Michael Grimm Carolyn Maloney Charles Rangel Jse Serrano Eliot Engel Nita Lowey Nan Hayworth Chris Gibson Paul Tonko Maurice Hinchey Bill Owens Richard Hanna Ann Marie Buerkle Kathy Hochul Brian Higgins Louise Slaughter Tom Reed

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

D INC A+ AC+ B INC A B B F C+ AA C+ CF INC B INC D-

OHIO C
Sen. Sherrod Brown Sen. Rob Portman Steve Chabot Jean Schmidt Michael Turner Jim Jordan Robert Latta Bill Johnson Steve Austria John Boehner Marcy Kaptur Dennis Kucinich Marcia Fudge Pat Tiberi Betty Sutton Steven LaTourette Steve Stivers Jim Renacci Tim Ryan Bob Gibbs

GPA

1.9 A+ D

NORTH CAROLINA Sen. Richard Burr Sen. Kay Hagan G.K. Butterfield Renee Ellmers Walter Jones David Price Virginia Foxx Howard Coble Mike McIntyre Larry Kissell Sue Myrick Patrick McHenry Heath Shuler Mel Watt Brad Miller

GPA

2.1 F C

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 GPA

DCINC F F D+ DINC A A+ A+ CB C+ D+ DB+ F 0.9 CD

OKLAHOMA D
Sen. Tom Coburn Sen. James Inhofe John Sullivan Dan Boren Frank Lucas Tom Cole James Lankford

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 GPA

AF C+ ACC C+ C+ F D INC AA 1.8 AD

1 2 3 4 5 GPA

DC+ DF F 3.2 A B+

OREGON B+
Sen. Jeff Merkley Sen. Ron Wyden Suzanne Bonamici Greg Walden Earl Blumenauer Peter DeFazio Kurt Schrader

NORTH DAKOTA CSen. Kent Conrad Sen. John Hoeven Rick Berg

1 2 3 4 5

INC CAB+ B

AL

D-

22

PENNSYLVANIA C
Sen. Robert Casey Sen. Patrick Toomey Robert Brady Chaka Fattah Mike Kelly Jason Altmire Glenn Thompson Jim Gerlach Pat Meehan Michael Fitzpatrick Bill Shuster Tom Marino Lou Barletta Mark Critz Allyson Schwartz Mike Doyle Charles Dent Joseph Pitts Tim Holden Tim Murphy Todd Platts

GPA

2.1 B D

SOUTH DAKOTA D+
Sen. Tim Johnson Sen. John Thune Kristi Noem

GPA

1.4 B+ F

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

A+ A D+ BDCC C+ D INC D BB A DF B C C-

AL GPA

D 1.6 CC1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 F C D DBCF CA+ 1.5 D C-

TENNESSEE CSen. Lamar Alexander Sen. Bob Corker Phil Roe John Duncan Chuck Fleischmann Scott DesJarlais Jim Cooper Diane Black Marsha Blackburn Stephen Fincher Steve Cohen

TEXAS CSen. John Cornyn Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison Louie Gohmert Ted Poe Sam Johnson Ralph Hall Jeb Hensarling Joe Barton John Culberson Kevin Brady Al Green Michael McCaul Michael Conaway Kay Granger Mac Thornberry Ron Paul Rubn Hinojosa Silvestre Reyes Bill Flores Sheila Jackson Lee Randy Neugebauer Charlie Gonzalez Lamar Smith Pete Olson Francisco Canseco

GPA

RHODE ISLAND ASen. Jack Reed Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse David Cicilline Jim Langevin SOUTH CAROLINA

GPA

3.7 A A+

1 2

B+ B+ 1.3 D F

D+

GPA

Sen. Jim DeMint Sen. Lindsey Graham Tim Scott Joe Wilson Jeff Duncan Trey Gowdy Mick Mulvaney James Clyburn 1 2 3 4 5 6

F D+ D+ D+ C B+

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

C DDDDDDF A CF F DINC INC B D A D+ B D F D

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Kenny Marchant Lloyd Doggett Michael Burgess Blake Farenthold Henry Cuellar Gene Green Eddie Bernice Johnson John Carter Pete Sessions

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 GPA

D B+ D DC+ AA+ DD1.1 INC D

WASHINGTON C+
Sen. Maria Cantwell Sen. Patty Murray VACANT Rick Larsen Jaime Herrera Beutler Doc Hastings Cathy McMorris Rodgers Norman Dicks Jim McDermott David Reichert Adam Smith

GPA

2.4 B A

UTAH D
Sen. Orrin Hatch Sen. Mike Lee Rob Bishop Jim Matheson Jason Chaffetz

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 GPA

B C DF B A+ D B+ 2.6 C+ A-

1 2 3 GPA

D C+ F 4 A A+

WEST VIRGINIA BSen. Joe Manchin Sen. Jay Rockefeller David McKinley Shelley Moore Capito Nick Rahall

VERMONT A+
Sen. Patrick Leahy Sen. Bernie Sanders Peter Welch

1 2 3 GPA

C+ CB 2.3 CB

AL GPA

A 1.8 B C

WISCONSIN C+
Sen. Ron Johnson Sen. Herb Kohl Paul Ryan Tammy Baldwin Ron Kind Gwen Moore James Sensenbrenner Thomas Petri Sean Duffy Reid Ribble

VIRGINIA CSen. Mark Warner Sen. Jim Webb Robert Wittman Scott Rigell Robert Scott Randy Forbes Robert Hurt Bob Goodlatte Eric Cantor James Moran Morgan Griffith Frank Wolf Gerry Connolly

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

DCADDD D A DC B-

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 GPA

C ABA C C DD+ 0.8 D F

WYOMING D Sen. John Barrasso Sen. Michael Enzi Cynthia Lummis

AL

D+

24

Appendix 3: State delegation grades compared to state poverty and economic inequality (Gini coefficient) rankings
STATE MISSISSIPPI NEW MEXICO LOUISIANA ARKANSAS KENTUCKY GEORGIA ALABAMA ARIZONA SOUTH CAROLINA WEST VIRGINIA TEXAS TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA MICHIGAN OREGON OKLAHOMA FLORIDA CALIFORNIA IDAHO OHIO INDIANA NEW YORK NEVADA MISSOURI ILLINOIS MONTANA RHODE ISLAND MAINE SOUTH DAKOTA WASHINGTON KANSAS PENNSYLVANIA UTAH COLORADO NEBRASKA WISCONSIN IOWA NORTH DAKOTA HAWAII MINNESOTA DELAWARE MASSACHUSETTS GPA 1 2.6 1.3 0.7 1.5 1.8 0.9 2 1.3 2.6 1.5 1.6 2.1 2.4 3.2 0.9 1.6 2.6 1.3 1.9 1.2 2.6 1.8 1.8 2.4 1.5 3.7 2.8 1.4 2.4 0.8 2.1 1.1 2.2 0.9 2.3 2.3 1.8 3.3 2.3 3 3.5 GRADE D BD+ DCCD C D+ BCCC C+ B+ D CBD+ C D+ BCCC+ CABD+ C+ DC D C+ D C+ C+ CB+ C+ B A1% Friendly Rank 7 37 10 1 13 18 4 25 12 37 13 16 27 33 45 4 16 37 10 24 9 37 18 18 33 13 49 41 25 33 2 27 8 29 4 30 30 18 46 30 43 48 Poverty Rank 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 31 31 33 33 35 35 37 38 39 40 40 42 Gini Rank 1=most unequal 11 4 3 18 16 7 11 27 21 13 7 10 13 23 28 23 5 5 44 28 20 1 31 23 13 41 19 33 44 35 37 23 48 28 31 40 43 35 47 37 39 7 Gini 0.474 0.482 0.484 0.468 0.471 0.477 0.474 0.460 0.465 0.472 0.477 0.476 0.472 0.461 0.459 0.461 0.481 0.481 0.432 0.459 0.466 0.499 0.453 0.461 0.472 0.435 0.467 0.451 0.432 0.445 0.444 0.461 0.425 0.459 0.453 0.437 0.434 0.445 0.430 0.444 0.440 0.477

25

VIRGINIA VERMONT WYOMING CONNECTICUT ALASKA NEW JERSEY MARYLAND NEW HAMPSHIRE

1.8 4 0.8 3.3 2.4 2.8 3 1.8

CA+ DB+ C+ BB C-

18 50 2 46 33 41 43 18

43 43 45 46 47 48 49 50

22 46 50 2 49 17 34 41

0.463 0.431 0.408 0.486 0.410 0.469 0.447 0.435

26

Appendix 4: Methodology and Sources

For each congressionalaction evaluated we awarded numerical points as follows: Recorded votes that would widen inequality (in favor of the 1%) minus 1 point; for recorded votes in favor of reducing inequality (in favor of the 99 percent) plus 1 point; for sponsorship of bills that would increase inequality, minus 1 point for lead sponsor; minus 0.5 point for co-sponsors. For sponsorship of bills that would reduce inequality, plus 1 point for lead sponsor, plus 0.5 point for co-sponsors. We then calculated numerical point scores for all Members, excluding those who missed more than one recorded vote (they received INC, for incomplete. Details on each Members vote and sponsorship record along with point totals can be found at [insert link] We next broke each chamber of Congress into five equal groups and assigned letter grades A through F. Where large groups of Members had the same score, we bumped them into the better letter grade. For instance in the House, there are substantially more than a fifth of Members with a grade of D, but substantially less with the grade of F. We looked for groupings at the top and bottom of each grade, and awarded + and - rankings accordingly. Grade adjustments: In his role as Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid twice voted against the position of other Democrats. He did so in order to preserve the parliamentary right to reconsider a vote that had failed. We adjusted his votes on these two bills and adjusted his grade accordingly. Senator Rand Paul voted against the Ryan Budget, a vote we regard as favoring the 99%. However, in explaining his vote, Senator Paul made clear he opposed the bill because it did not cut spending enough, a move that would have hurt the 99% even more than the Ryan Budget. So we adjusted his vote on this issue and his grade accordingly. According to House tradition, the Speaker of the House votes only in the case of a tie. As there were no ties on the issues we covered, Speaker Boehner made no recorded votes and was thereby awarded a grade of incomplete.
Grade distribution break-down: House of Representatives 14 50 19 18 47 16 20 26 35 23 35 54 48 25 Grade A+ A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF INC(omplete) Senate 5 9 8 8 14 0 3 9 7 0 24 0 11 2

27

Data Sources: Recorded votes: official records of the House and Senate. Roll Call vote numbers can be found at the top of each column of this spreadsheet detailing Member votes and sponsorship activity: http://www.ipsdc.org/reports/inequality-report-card/ Bill Co-Sponsors: Library of Congresss Thomas database. Information on bill co-sponsors is current as of September 4, 2012. Congressional wealth: 50 Richest Members of Congress in Roll Call (newspaper serving Capitol Hill) http://www.rollcall.com/50richest/the-50-richest-members-of-congress-112th-2012.html Corporate funders of the Failing 48: www.opensecrets.org State poverty and Gini coefficients by state: U.S. Census Bureau. State poverty data from Table 1 found on page 3 of this report: http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr11-01.pdf State inequality data (GINI coefficients) is found in Appendix Table 1, page 5, here: http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr11-02.pdf

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