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| Lugar Has Most 'Economically Efficient' Voting Record in Congress |
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| Date of Record: November 4, 2004 |
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U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar has the most economically efficient voting record of all members of Congress according to a study published in the Investor's Business Daily on October 27, 2004. The study was was authored by Burton A. Abrams, Ph.D., Russell F. Settle, Ph.D. and Martin Kennedy, Ph.D. Candidate (the Econ-E Group) at the University of Delaware. Lugar scored 91 on a scale of 0 to 100.
"The study included votes on legislation that economists would widely agree should yield national benefits that exceed costs (efficiency enhancing) or nationwide costs that exceed benefits (efficiency diminishing). Efficiency enhancing policies increase the size of the national economic pie; efficiency diminishing policies reduce its size," according to the study's authors.
Lugar's score of 91 indicates that he supported the efficiency enhancing position or rejected the efficiency diminishing position 91 percent of the time.
The study is a first of its kind and studied votes where economic efficiency was at stake in the 106th and 107th Congresses (1999-2001). To ensure consistency and reliability, only members seated in both the 106th Congresses were scored. The average score in the Senate was 55.3 and the median was 59.2.
Lugar is a former small business owner who consistently championed small businesses by promoting policies that eliminate wasteful government spending, spur economic growth, cut taxes, lead to job creation, and reduce the bureaucratic red tape for American businesses.
In addition, Lugar is a member and former Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, and authored legislation to overhaul federal farm programs through the 1996 Farm Bill.
More information about the study may be found at:
http://www.lerner.udel.edu/econ-e/
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