Today, the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), a nonpartisan citizen group, announced that Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) received the highest pro-taxpayer score within the California delegation and was one of only a few dozen lawmakers in the House and Senate to win the 2007 "Taxpayers’ Friend Award."
"Representative Royce's pro-taxpayer score of 93 percent is among the highest in the entire House of Representatives," NTU President Duane Parde said. "By consistently voting to reduce federal spending, taxes, and debt, Representative Royce has led by example in the fight to ease the burden on taxpayers everywhere -- something NTU's 362,000 members nationwide and 52,300 members in California greatly appreciate. He has truly earned the title 'Taxpayers' Friend.'"
The award is presented to those Members who achieve an "A" grade in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress. The Rating, which is based on every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy, assigns a "Taxpayer Score" to each Member of Congress that indicates his or her support for reducing or controlling federal spending, taxes, debt, and regulation.
"I opposed the Democrat leadership's $683 billion tax hike, the largest single tax increase in American history, and I support maintaining tax relief for middle-class families and small business owners. It is a great honor to receive this award and I will continue to fight to lower taxes, reign in government spending and support tax relief for middle-class families," said Royce.
From 2006 to 2007, the average "Taxpayer Score" in the House fell four points to 35 percent. True "high performers" in Congress are always rare. In 2007, 52 lawmakers earned scores sufficient to win the Taxpayers’ Friend Award. Meanwhile, more than 260 Members captured the title of "Big Spender" for scoring 16 percent or less in the House and 14 percent or less in the Senate.
"If every Member of Congress had voted as responsibly as Royce did in 2007, Americans could have enjoyed much lower taxes and less waste in government," Parde concluded. "Overburdened taxpayers in California and across the nation owe Royce a debt of gratitude for his hard work on their behalf. He has truly earned the title ‘Taxpayers’ Friend.’"
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