Toomey, Pitts ‘Win’ Club For Growth Scorecard

Politics PA

The Club for Growth, a conservative organization that favors reduced federal spending and deregulation, has issued its scorecard for 2012 votes in Congress. Sen. Pat Toomey (R) and Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Chester) lead the delegation.

Toomey was the group’s president between his Senate runs in 2004 and 2010. He got a score of 93%, 6th in the country, and was granted a “Defender of Economic Freedom Award.”

How did he fall shy of his 97% score last year? His vote against the so-called Tea Party budget of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Toomey authored his own budget in 2012, but opposed the politically perilous Paul plan.

The group did not score Toomey’s budget, which failed despite winning more votes than any other proposal.

Sen. Bob Casey (D) earned 17%.

“2012 was a difficult year for economic freedom,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “Whether it was the GOP’s support of massive tax increases or the constant assault on liberty by the Obama administration, the pro-growth caucus in Congress has a lot of work to do in 2013.”

There were few surprises on the House side. Rep. Pitts remained atop the GOP delegation with a score of 71%. Rep. Tim Holden (D-Schuylkill) was the lowest at 8%.

Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Chester) was the worst-performing Republican with 55%. Rep. Mark Critz (D-Cambria) was the best-performing Democrat with 31%.

Read more: http://www.politicspa.com/toomey-pitts-win-club-for-growth-scorecard/46254/