Download the 2007 CDF Action Council Scorecard (.pdf)

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Votes Used in Our Scorecard (.pdf)	Download the 2007 Scorecard (.pdf)
Best & Worst Members of Congress for Children (.pdf)
How Your State Delegation Scored (clickable map)
How the Scorecard was Compiled
Past Scorecards

How Well Did Your Members of Congress
Protect Children?

The Children's Defense Fund Action Council^® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard shows some important legislative successes but notes some missed key opportunities to improve the lives of children in 2007.

The average scores for Members of Congress in both the House of Representatives and the Senate improved from the previous three years with more Members scoring 100 percent than in 2004, 2005 or 2006. However, Congress failed to provide health coverage for even one-third of the children currently uninsured in America. The Scorecard, which grades every Member of the House and Senate based on ten key votes affecting children, calls on voters to hold their legislators accountable for their votes.

As the 2007 CDF Action Council Scorecard reports:

• The average score for a Senator was 69 percent, up from 48 percent in 2006.
• The average score for a Representative was 66 percent, up from 56 percent in 2006.
• 25 Senators and 173 Representatives scored 100 percent.
• 13 Senators and 132 Representatives scored 30 percent or below.
• The Hawaii and Rhode Island Congressional delegations were rated the best advocates for children.
• The Oklahoma and Wyoming delegations were rated the two worst for children; this is the third time over the last four years that Wyoming has had the lowest score of all 50 states.

The Scorecard highlights Congress's failure to override President Bush's veto of legislation to extend health coverage to 3.1 million more uninsured children. But it also credits Members for making important progress for children and families in 2007 by passing:

• The first increase in the minimum wage in a decade, bringing it from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour by 2009, which is expected to benefit the parents of approximately 6.4 million children under 18.
• Access and quality improvements in Head Start to help more young children start school ready to succeed.
• Additional funds for student loans to help many more youth attend college.