The How They Voted scorecard is made up of three components
- 1. Legislative Vote Score (80% of the total score)
- 2. Legislative Leadership Score (10% of the total score)
- 3. Bipartisan Engagement Score (10% of total score)
The U.S. Chamber revised the scorecard for the 116th Congress to more fully reward Congress for helping to advance pro-business policies while simultaneously encouraging members to reach the compromises necessary for effective governing.
Previously, a member’s annual How They Voted score solely reflected how consistently he or she voted with the Chamber’s position on legislation identified as important to the business community.
The Chamber will produce individual report cards for all members that will show how the member compares to the rest of the Congress, their party, and their delegation.
The new scorecard is made up of three components:
1. Legislative Vote Score (80% of the total score)
This score functions like the current scorecard with one change: We now reserve the right to doubleweight votes so long as the decision to double-weight the vote is communicated to Capitol Hill in advance.
2. Legislative Leadership Score (10% of the total score)
This score is based on the number of Chamber-endorsed bills a member cosponsors and Chamber-opposed bills the member declines to cosponsor.
Example: If a Member co-sponsors 23 of 30 Chamber-endorsed bills and declines to sponsor all five Chamber opposed bills, her Legislative Leadership Score would be 80% (with the Chamber on 28 of 35 bills).
The Chamber will communicate to Capitol Hill its endorsement or opposition to bills and maintain a current list—see above.
In 2020 the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched the Equality of Opportunity Initiative which seeks to develop and advance data-driven business and policy solutions to bridge opportunity gaps and ensure that Black Americans and people of color have greater opportunities to succeed. As part of this effort, the Chamber is identifying specific legislative solutions it is encouraging Congress to pass. Members of Congress who cosponsor these bills will receive credit for the Leadership component of their “How They Voted” rating.
3. Bipartisan Engagement Score (10% of total score)
This score is based on the share of bills (other than those formally opposed by the Chamber) cosponsored by the member that were introduced by members of the opposite party. This score is calculated relative to the member’s performance against all other members.
Example: If a Republican Member cosponsors 31 bills in total and 19 were introduced by Democrats, 62% of his cosponsored bills will be considered cross-party.