WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa released their first ever analysis of the environmental voting records of the congressional caucuses of color. The report examined the voting records, based on the 2016 National Environmental Scorecard, and other environmental leadership of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Conference. The 2016 Scorecard: Report on Congressional Caucuses of Color is available in both English and Spanish at www.lcv.org/2016CCOCReport.

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“When it comes to our aina, the Trump administration has made it clear they will pursue an agenda of alternative facts that will unravel all of the progress we have made in the last eight years to promote clean energy, address climate change, protect public lands, and ensure clean air and water to leave our aina the same, if not better, for future generations. I look forward to continuing to work with LCV to send a loud message to this administration that we will not stand idly by as it attacks science and our environment,” said Senator Mazie K. Hirono

“Our allies in Congress beat back the vast majority of attacks on urgent environmental protections and stood up for the well-being of communities of color experiencing the consequences of climate change,” said LCV Senior Vice President for Community and Civic Engagement Jennifer Allen. “With only a few exceptions, Congressional members who are people of color and who represent communities of color are champions of environmental protections, fighting climate change and advancing public health.”

“The Congressional Caucuses of Color Scorecard is a critical tool for us to use in holding our elected officials accountable and to reward them when they do right by us,” said Cristóbal J. Alex, president of the Latino Victory Project and LCV Board Member. “With that in mind, I want to congratulate the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for receiving an average score of 90 percent on the 2016 Scorecard. CHC members have formed a bulwark of resistance against this hostile administration by consistently championing our communities on the Hill and in their districts. Because the measures scored affect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the lands where we grow our food, and the workers who harvest that food, we need to make sure that our elected officials represent all of our best interests and health.”

“People of Color are getting hit the hardest by climate change, and the LCV 2016 National Environmental Scorecard: Report on Congressional Caucuses of color shows that most Congressional members of color understand the need to create policy to reverse this crisis. Environmental racism is climate change, and the lack of climate policy continues to have direct implications on the health of communities of color. This report shows again why Congressional members of color are called the Conscience of the Congress,” said LCV Board Member and Hip-Hop Caucus president Rev. Lennox Yearwood.

“New analysis of our 2016 Scorecard data shows that members of Congress who are active in caucuses representing people of color are often among the strongest supporters of public health and the environment,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “Members of Congress of color are not only voting pro-environment, they are also championing solutions for clean water, clean air, and climate action.”

The anti-environmental policies of the Trump administration, whose Cabinet leadership is overwhelmingly white and male, stand in stark contrast to the impressive environmental records of congressional caucuses of color, who are among the strongest supporters of public health and the environment in Congress.  In a time when President Trump and his administration rely on “alternative facts,” LCV’s Scorecard meticulously shows which members of Congress are indeed environmental champions and which members simply do the bidding of polluters.  More often than not, members in caucuses of color support public health and the environment which is why it is crucial that we continue to elect champions of color.

For nearly 50 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health, and energy issues. Chispa is a community organizing program of the League of Conservation Voters. We build the capacity of Latinos and families to influence policy makers and pressure polluters to protect communities’ rights to clean air and water, healthy neighborhoods and a safe climate for generations to come. For more information, visit https://scorecard.lcv.org.

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