Washington, D.C. — Today, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released its 2023 National Environmental Scorecard at a virtual press conference with Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Tom Carper and Representative Jennifer McClellan. LCV’s Scorecard has been the primary yardstick for evaluating the environmental records of members of Congress since 1970 and is available for download here, online at scorecard.lcv.org, and highlighted on LCV social channels.

WATCH: 2023 Scorecard Press Conference

The Scorecard shows that in 2023, environmental champions in Congress successfully fought back against relentless and sweeping attacks on our democracy and environmental protections unleashed by a chaotic MAGA Republican-led House which took hundreds of symbolic votes to cater to Big Polluters and the most extreme wing of their conference. A stark contrast from recent climate action from the 117th Congress and progress on judicial nominations in the Senate, the consequence of the Republican House chaos was hundreds of missed opportunities to help communities, lower costs, and make progress against the climate crisis.“Following the most productive Congress in history for climate action, 2023 was not only the hottest year on record, it was one of the least productive legislative years ever because of MAGA House Republicans’ extreme leadership,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “The last Congress showed that transformational change that works for both our communities and our planet is possible when our elected leaders come together to pass meaningful legislation that will tackle the climate crisis and environmental injustice. In 2023, the near record number of House votes included underscores that the new House Republican majority did the bidding of Big Polluters and sought to undo the Biden-Harris administration’s historic leadership on climate change. We appreciate our allies in the House who consistently opposed these attacks and, thanks to champions in the Senate and the President’s steadfast leadership, these attempts to undermine the historic affordable clean energy plan were unsuccessful.”

“The fight to protect our one and only planet has never mattered more – there is no Planet B,” said Senator Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “All of us have a role to play in cleaning up our air and water, protecting our communities from harmful chemicals, and tackling climate change. The League of Conservation Voters has been a critical partner in this fight for many years — working alongside Congress and highlighting our progress each year. I’m grateful to be recognized for these efforts once again.”

“For nearly two decades I fought for environmental justice and climate action as a state legislator, passing landmark legislation like Virginia Clean Economy Act and Environmental Justice Act. Now as the first Black woman to represent Virginia in Congress, I am building that legacy,” said Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan. “I am honored to receive a perfect 100% score on LCV’s 2023 National Environmental Scorecard. I will continue fighting against Republicans’ extreme efforts to roll back our progress and undermine the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic actions. Together, we will continue to build a healthier, more sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.”

For the second year, this year’s Scorecard highlights the leadership of the Tri-Caucus, including the history-making election of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries as the first member of the Tri-Caucus elected to lead a party in either chamber. Leadership of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) scored an average of 99% on the 2023 Scorecard. These champions in Congress led and supported many of the forward-looking climate, conservation, environmental justice, and equitable democracy bills and initiatives in 2023, in addition to helping to educate constituents and connect communities to the transformational investments within the affordable clean energy plan.

This year’s 2023 Scorecard includes a near record-high 36 House votes, 15 of which were MAGA-led messaging amendments offered to government funding bills that already had no path to enactment. In contrast to the House, the Senate remained in Democratic control and passed four bipartisan appropriations bills and confirmed 69 lifetime federal judges who are exceptionally well qualified and historically diverse in both their personal and professional backgrounds and experiences. The Senate’s 16 votes include the confirmation of judges who are experts in voting rights and environmental issues, rejecting attempts to block public health, environmental, community, and worker protections, in addition to a failed vote to prevent the forced final approvals of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

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