Both U.S. Senators And Five Representatives From Tennessee Awarded High Marks In CPAC Report

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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Both U.S. Senators, along with five U.S. Representatives from the Tennessee delegation are named in the top 10% of conservative lawmakers in Congress in the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) report.

Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-Kingsport), and Congressmen Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville), Scott DesJarlais (R-Sherwood), Mark Green (R-Ashland City), and John Rose (R-Cookeville), along with Senior Senator Marsha Blackburn and Junior Senator Bill Hagerty received the Award for Conservative Excellence.

Both Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Brentwood) and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Nashville) received a 92% rating.

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The Representatives scored even higher and are rated as follows:

• Representative Tim Burchett – 97%

• Representative Diana Harshbarger – 96%

• Representative Mark Green – 96%

• Representative John Rose – 94%

• Representative Scott DesJarlais – 90%

There is also an Award for Conservative Achievement for those scoring between 80 and 89% but neither Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-Chattanooga) or Representative David Kustoff (R-Memphis) made the cut. Fleishmann and Kustoff both received a 79% rating.

The American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF) organizes CPAC conferences and has compiled Congress Ratings for 50 years (1971-2021).

In an introduction to the report, ACUF Chairman Matt Schlapp said that “the stakes could not be higher as we head into the 2022 midterms.” Citing “runaway inflation, a border crisis, spiking crime rates, a gruesome war abroad and an attack against the unborn, all products of a Biden administration hijacked by the radical left” Schlapp said, “It will take an unwavering commitment to conservative principles to stop this downward spiral.”

 This year’s Ratings of Congress are the most in-depth and comprehensive in its 50-year history. ACUF researches and selects a range of bills to evaluate a member’s adherence to conservative principles.

We begin by defining conservatism (i.e., the political philosophy that sovereignty resides in the person). Next, we apply our understanding of the proper role of government (i.e., protecting Life, Liberty and Property). Then, we select bills that focus on Ronald Reagan’s philosophy of the “three-legged stool”: 1) fiscal and economic: taxes, budgets, regulation, spending, healthcare, and property; 2) social and cultural: Second Amendment, religion, life, welfare, and education; and 3) national security: preserving our nation’s security by maintaining a strong national defense. The wide range of issues covered are designed to give citizens an accurate assessment of how Members of Congress view the role of government in an individual’s life.

The 38 bills selected that measured how members of congress voted included preventing illegal immigrants from receiving stimulus checks, advancing a fiscally responsible budget, supporting construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, advancing an America First Agenda by prioritizing domestic spending over foreign aid, hiking the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, protecting the dignity of aborted fetal remains, and overturning Biden’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate on private businesses.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.