Methodology

The same rules, applied to every member of Congress, using only their recorded votes.

1. Which bills are scored

A bill is scored only if it meets all three conditions:

• Consensus. A cross-party majority of Americans already stands on one side. Issues where the country genuinely splits are excluded.
• A clear answer. The bill has a definite answer on at least one of the eight questions below.
• A recorded floor vote. The bill reached a recorded vote on the House or Senate floor.

2. The eight questions

Every scored bill answers the same questions. Each answer is helps, hurts or neutral, with a short note. If helps outnumber hurts, a Yea vote puts Americans first; if hurts outnumber helps, a Nay vote does. Ties are not scored.

Economy

• Who gets the money or the tax break?
• Are there carve-outs for named or narrow beneficiaries?
• Who lobbied for it, and who against?

Freedom

• Does it protect or erode privacy, anonymity, speech, due process and the right to organize or sue?

Everyday life

• Does it lower or raise what Americans pay directly?
• Does it protect or undercut American jobs, wages and public safety?

America first

• Does it keep resources in America, or send money, weapons and troops abroad?

Consensus

• Where reliable polling exists, do most Americans across parties support or oppose it?

3. Which votes count

• Only recorded roll-call votes that decide the measure itself. Procedural votes such as cloture, motions to proceed or motions to table do not count.
• One vote per bill per chamber. If a chamber votes on a bill more than once, only the final decisive vote counts.
• Cosponsorships, statements and press releases never count.

4. Sources

Roll-call votes come directly from the House Clerk and the U.S. Senate. Bill text and status from congress.gov, lobbying records from OpenSecrets, and fundraising from the Federal Election Commission.

5. Corrections

Think a vote or a bill is scored wrong? Write to contact@whostandswithamericans.com. Confirmed errors are corrected.