Freedom Index 118-3
Our third look at the 118th Congress shows how every member of the House and Senate voted on key issues such as federal spending, foreign aid, banning a central bank digital currency (House only), and prohibiting government censorship (Senate only).
The scores are derived by dividing a congressman’s constitutional votes (pluses) by the total number he cast (pluses and minuses) and multiplying by 100. The average House score for this index is 31 percent (56 percent for the Republicans and five percent for the Democrats), and the average Senate score is 32 percent (59 percent for the Republicans and seven percent for the Democrats). Thirteen representatives and five senators earned 100 percent. We encourage readers to examine how their own legislators voted on each of the 10 key measures. We also encourage readers to commend legislators for their constitutional votes, and to urge improvement where needed.
Share this Freedom Index in your district to inform people about the constitutionality of their elected officials' votes.
Senate Votes
21. Audit the Fed
Requires a full audit of the Federal Reserve System.
22. U.S. Military in Syria
Under the U.S. Constitution, the power to declare war belongs to Congress, and the United States should follow a policy of noninterventionism, minding its own business in foreign affairs.
23. Counting Noncitizens in Census
The purpose of the U.S. Census is to determine the allotment of congressional seats and Electoral College votes for each state. Illegal aliens, who are not U.S. citizens, should not be counted toward determining those numbers. Furthermore, changing the demographics of a congressional district or state also changes the voting patterns of those areas.
24. Consolidated Appropriations
Appropriates $467.5 billion in federal funding for fiscal 2024.
25. Free Speech
Prohibits funds from being used by the federal government to label speech as "disinformation or misinformation" or to coerce online platforms to censor such speech.
26. Consolidated Appropriations
Appropriates $1.2 trillion in total funding for fiscal 2024.
27. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Would reverse a December 2023 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rule that requires state transportation agencies to set targets for reducing transportation-related greenhouse-gas emissions and report to the FHWA on their progress.
28. Surveilling U.S. Citizens
Prohibits federal officials from requesting orders under FISA to surveil U.S. persons, among other provisions.
29. FISA Reauthorization
Would reauthorize for two years, until 2026, Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which governs electronic surveillance of foreign terrorism suspects.
30. Foreign Aid Package
Provides a total of $95.3 billion in "emergency" aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
How did they vote?
