Washington, DC (May 19, 2008) - Congressman Jeff Miller had one of the most pro-taxpayer voting records in Congress last year, according to the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU). The nonpartisan citizen group announced that Congressman Miller was one of only a few dozen lawmakers in the House and Senate to win the 2007 “Taxpayers’ Friend Award.”
“While many Members of Congress talked about reducing the size of government last year, Jeff Miller backed up those words with votes,” NTU President Duane Parde said. “This award proves that Congressman Miller is a staunch ally we can count on in our battle to restore fiscal responsibility to Washington.”
The award is presented to those Members who achieve an “A” grade in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress. The Rating, which is based on every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy, assigns a “Taxpayer Score” to each Member of Congress that indicates his or her support for reducing or controlling federal spending, taxes, debt, and regulation
“Jeff Miller’s pro-taxpayer score of 86% percent was one of the best in the entire House and one of only two “A’s” in the State of Florida,” Parde said. “By consistently voting to reduce federal spending, taxes, and debt, Jeff has led by example in the fight to ease the burden on taxpayers everywhere. This is an achievement for which he should be proud.”
From 2006 to 2007, the average “Taxpayer Score” in the House fell four points to 35 percent. In the Senate, the average pro-taxpayer score fell 11 points to 37 percent. However, true “high performers” in Congress are always rare. In 2007, 52 lawmakers earned scores sufficient to win the Taxpayers’ Friend Award (at least 85 percent in the House and 80 percent in the Senate). Meanwhile, more than 260 Members captured the title of “Big Spender” for scoring 16 percent or less in the House and 14 percent or less in the Senate.
“If every Member of Congress had voted as responsibly as Congressman Miller did in 2007, Americans could have enjoyed much lower taxes and less waste in government,” Parde concluded.
NTU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit citizen group founded in 1969 to work for lower taxes, smaller government, and economic freedom at all levels. Note: The 2007 Rating and a searchable Rating database from 1992 to 2006 is available at www.ntu.org. For questions about the Rating, its history, or methodology, please contact NTU Vice President for Policy and Communications Pete Sepp or NTU Communications Manager Natasha Altamirano at (703) 683-5700.
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