Feb 22 Press Release: CT Delegation Earns Perfect Scores on 2009 National Environmental Scorecard from National LCV

Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) joined the national League of Conservations Voters in releasing the 2009 National Environmental Scorecard, unveiling scores for the Connecticut delegation in the first session of the 111^th Congress.  For 30 years, the LCV's National Environmental Scorecard has been the nationally-accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues.

In Connecticut, all five House members and two senators earned a perfect 100 percent score in 2009.  Only Connecticut and Hawaii earned perfect scores in both chambers.

"We applaud Connecticut's entire federal delegation for fighting in 2009 to bring clean energy jobs to the state and reduce our national dependence on foreign oil," said CTLCV's Executive Director, Lori Brown.  "Now we need our state lawmakers to take equal note of their constituents' overriding concerns with protecting our environment, moving toward a clean energy future, and creating jobs to get us there."

The 2009 National Environmental Scorecard includes 11 Senate and 13 House votes dominated by clean energy and climate but also encompassing other environmental issues such as public lands, water and wildlife conservation. 

"The 2009 National Environmental Scorecard illustrates the extent to which the Obama administration and the 111th Congress began to move our nation towards a clean energy future that will create new jobs, make America more energy independent and curb global warming pollution," said LCV President Gene Karpinski.   "However, it also makes clear that there is still much work to be done, first and foremost to finish the work started in the House by swiftly passing a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill in the Senate."

Connecticut Delegation 2009 National Environmental Scores

Senate
Dodd (D )                  100%
Lieberman (I )            100%

House
Larson, J. (D- Dist 1)   100%
Courtney (D-Dist 2)     100%
DeLauro (D-Dist 3)      100%
Himes (D-Dist 4)         100%
Murphy, C. (D-Dist 5)  100%

Representatives Larson, Courtney, DeLauro, Himes and Murphy all voted for the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act.  That bill would help bring more than 16,741 clean energy jobs to Connecticut, according to the Center for American Progress & Political Economy Research Institute's clean energy jobs map.

In Connecticut, state lawmakers were graded by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters Environmental Scorecard (CTLCV) for votes taken during the 2009 session of the Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut's state lawmakers' environmental voting records are available in CTLCV's 2009 Environmental Scorecard, online at www.ctlcv.org/scorecard.

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