Jacob Ogles
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued high marks to Rep. Vern Buchanan for his legislative record this year. Rep. Frederica Wilson, on the other hand, did earn a passing grade from the group.
The most prominent pro-business lobby in the nation, the U.S. Chamber just released its annual scorecard for every Senator and Representative in Congress. That included scores in the 80s for both of Florida’s Senators, Republicans Marco Rubio (83% and Rick Scott (86%).
Rubio earned an 89% legislative score based on whether he took the same position as the Chamber on nine issues, voting differently only on a cloture vote for Kimberly Reed’s confirmation as Export-Import Bank president. But he received only a 47% score on leadership as he served as a sponsor on Chamber-backed legislation just twice in the year. The chamber also gives a grade on how often legislators work across the aisle and graded Rubio with a 72% bipartisanship score.
Scott, a freshman Senator, scored an 86% overall score, including an 89% legislative score, but for failing to agree with the Chamber on minting a coin to commemorate the opening of a National Law Enforcement Museum. The Chamber supported that move, but Scott did not. But Scott earned a 96% leadership score, which balanced out just a 53% score for bipartisanship.
In the House, Buchanan, a Sarasota Republican, tallied a higher Chamber grade than any Florida lawmaker, including either Senator.
“I’m honored to be recognized for supporting bipartisan policies that create jobs and grow the economy,” Buchanan said. “With so many people unemployed it’s critical to help workers and small businesses get back on their feet.”
He scored an overall grad of 96%, including a 100% as far as his votes on legislation. That means he held the same view as the Chamber on 18 House actions. He co-sponsored three Chamber-favored bills, earning a score of 63% as far as leadership. But he was buoyed by a 94% score for bipartisanship.
Hollywood Democrat Wilson, meanwhile, boasts the Florida Delegation’s lowest Chamber grade, with a 51%.. She actually supported the Chamber’s legislative agenda this year 60% of the time. But she scored just a 31% leadership score, thanks to co-sponsoring three bills the Chamber opposed and just one the organization supported. The biggest hit to her score, though, came form only a 3% score for bipartisanhip.
As expected, Republicans as a whole performed better on the scorecard than Democrats. Four other Florida Republicans besides earned scores in the 90s: Reps. Gus Bilirakis (94%), Mario Diaz-Balart, (94%), John Rutherford (93%) and Michael Waltz (90%). Retiring Rep. Francis Rooney earned the lowest GOP score from Florida with 59%.
Meanwhile, only three other Florida Representatives earned scores in the 50s besides Wilson, all of them Democrats: Kathy Castor (59%), Alcee Hastings (55%), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (57%). The highest scores for Democrats in the Delegation went to Reps. Charlie Crist and Stephanie Murphy, who both earned a 69%.
3 comments
TED KRUZE
June 23, 2020 at 1:23 pm
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and, in fact, chambers of commerce at all levels, are nothing but primary sponsors, promoters, and propagandists for the Republican Party. And, of course, since the post WW II period, Republicans everywhere have been the party of Big Business and monied special interests … and chambers of commerce have often been their mouthpieces. Like the stock market – chambers of commerce are mostly irrelevant to the American working class.
martin
June 23, 2020 at 2:39 pm
I can hear the cries from the left; “the grading scale of the chamber be racess..”
Ted isn’t that what you really meant to say?
leon judge
June 25, 2020 at 4:15 pm
Fredericka Wilson has represented one of the poorest communities in this state for decades. Guess what these folks unfortunately are still poor. Empty Hat….
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