Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence scored a zero on fed-friendly votes. Darron Cummings/AP
Here Are the Lawmakers With the Worst Records on Federal Employee Issues
Rankings also show stark differences on presidential ticket.
The Republican-controlled Congress, since the party took over the House in 2010, has driven a largely anti-federal employee agenda.
GOP lawmakers have pushed for trimming the size of the federal workforce, cutting feds’ pay and benefits, limiting resources for federal agencies and enabling a government shutdown in 2013 in addition to many close calls during funding fights. Republicans recently included policies that would cut feds’ compensation while limiting their due process rights as a part of the party platform.
Not every Republican has fought against feds’ interests, however. According to a ranking from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, several members of the majority party have cast pro-federal employee votes on a majority of key votes over their careers. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, for example, has a lifetime score from NARFE of 71 percent for fed-friendly votes.
Still, every lawmaker who has a lifetime score of 0 is in the Republican Party. One former lawmaker with a 0 score is Republican nominee Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, R-Ind.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who served as a senator from New York from 2001-2009, earned a 100 percent rating, as did her running mate, current Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
NARFE listed several bills from the current Congress to determine its latest scores, including budget resolutions, shutdown-averting stopgap spending measures, bills to ease the firing of federal employee and limit feds’ due process, Thrift Savings Plan alterations and others.
Here is a list of every congressman and senator -- 17 in all -- with a 0 percent lifetime score from NARFE. An additional 53 lawmakers earned a 0 in just the 114th Congress, but previously cast votes NARFE considered in federal workers’ interest.
Alabama
- Rep. Bradley Byrne
- Rep. Gary Palmer
Arkansas
- Rep. Bruce Westerman
Florida
- Rep. Curt Clawson
Georgia
- Rep. Jody Hice
Idaho
- Sen. Jim Risch
Illinois
- Rep. Darin LaHood
Iowa
- Rep. Rod Blum
Louisiana
- Rep. Garret Graves
Minnesota
- Rep. Tom Emmer
Nebraska
- Sen. Ben Sasse
North Carolina
- Rep. Mark Walker
Ohio
- Rep. Warren Davidson
South Carolina
- Sen. Tim Scott
Texas
- Rep. John Ratcliffe
- Rep. Brian Babin
Virginia
- Rep. Dave Brat