ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As pundits weigh the pros and cons in the popularity contest that has come to be known as the 'Veep Sweepstakes,' the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has prepared an objective look at the fiscal records of each of the leading Vice Presidential candidates.
'Based on the findings of research from NTU and our educational affiliate, the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), it's clear that a majority of the leading contenders for the Vice Presidential nomination have a legislative history of supporting higher federal spending,' NTU President Duane Parde said. 'Many of the potential running mates have been among the worst scorers in NTU's annual Rating of Congress.'
The fiscal 'snapshot' of 16 possible VPs uses data from NTU's annual Rating of Congress, which assigns Members of Congress a 'Taxpayer Score' based on every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy, and NTUF's BillTally, which calculates a 'net annual agenda cost' for each Member of Congress based on individual sponsorships of legislation. Of all the candidates being considered for a VP slot on the national ticket:
-- Only one -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) -- produced a legislative agenda to reduce federal spending in his or her last term in Congress (for Richardson, the 104th Congress);
-- No Republicans sponsored legislation in their most recent Congressional term that cumulatively would cut federal spending;
-- Only one -- U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) -- received an 'A' grade in the most recent Rating during which he or she served in Congress, and only four received 'A' grades at all from 1992 to 2007;
-- Six Democrats and one Independent being considered for the VP post got 'F' grades in their most recent Ratings.
'Much of the election coverage to date has focused on the legislative records of the Presidential candidates, but those of potential VPs -- who will cast crucial tie-breaking votes in the Senate -- are likewise important,' Parde concluded.
NTU also has provided fiscal 'snapshots' of Presidential candidates Bob Barr, John McCain, and Barack Obama based on NTU Rates Congress, NTUF's BillTally, and NTUF's ongoing Presidential Candidate Cost Analysis project.
NTU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit citizen organization founded in 1969 to work for lower taxes, smaller government, and economic freedom at all levels. Note: For more election-related research and analysis, visit http://www.ntu.org.
SOURCE National Taxpayers Union