Scores Examine How Nevada’s Leaders in Congress Voted to Protect our Health and Environment
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Today, the Nevada Conservation League announced the Nevada federal delegation scores from the League of Conservation Voters’ 2020 National Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard evaluates the voting records of members of Congress on key environmental votes regarding climate change, public lands, environmental justice, public health, wildlife conservation, and democracy. The Scorecard is available online in English and Spanish at scorecard.lcv.org.
“Understanding how our elected representatives voted on major environmental decisions is key to a functioning democracy. That’s why we are proud to share the 2020 Environmental Scorecard, which tells a story of how our members of Congress leveraged their power to address the coronavirus pandemic while also laying the groundwork for a more just, equitable, and sustainable future,” said Nevada Conservation League Executive Director Paul Selberg. “Even in the face of challenging leadership in the White House, who rolled-back on climate and conservation progress at every turn, coupled with the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, our federal representatives continued to stand up for Nevada. We are fortunate to have Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen and Representatives Titus, Lee, and Horsford fighting every day to defend our health and environment. Yet there is still more work to be done and will require our delegation to work together to pass legislation to preserve our public lands, invest in renewable energy sources, and protect public health for all Nevadans.”
The 2020 Scorecard measures votes cast during the second session of the 116th Congress. In Nevada, Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen and Representatives Titus, Lee, and Horsford earned a score of 85 percent or greater, while Representative Amodei earned a score of 24 percent.
| Federal Leader | 2020 Score | 116th Congress Score | Lifetime Score |
| Senator Cortez Masto | 92% | 96% | 96% |
| Senator Rosen | 92% | 92% | 96% |
| Representative Titus | 100% | 98% | 95% |
| Representative Amodei | 24% | 16% | 7% |
| Representative Lee | 95% | 96% | 96% |
| Representative Horsford | 100% | 98% | 84% |
Among the key issues measured in the 2020 Scorecard was the Great American Outdoors Act, historic, bipartisan conservation legislation that provided permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, where all six of Nevada’s federal representatives voted for its passage. The 2020 Scorecard also shows that Nevada’s three Democratic House Representatives voted to maintain the suspension of nuclear weapons testing which would have taken place in Nevada.
The Scorecard represents a yardstick for evaluating the environmental records of members of Congress. Nevadans are encouraged to view the Scorecard to better understand the decisions our elected representatives are making at the highest levels of government that affect our families, communities, and everyday life. The Scorecard is a critical tool for holding our lawmakers accountable to their conservation promises and tells us how we can continue to encourage the prioritization of our health and environment in Congress.
“During an incredibly difficult and unprecedented year and with the most anti-environmental president ever, pro-environment members of the 116th Congress paved the way for transformational action on climate and environmental justice,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “Now the pro-environment trifecta — led by President Biden and Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Schumer — is poised to enact transformational progress that results in healthy, equitable, safe communities powered by clean energy.”
The 2020 Scorecard includes 21 House votes that advanced pro-environmental and pro-democracy bills, provisions, and government funding. In the Senate, for the fourth year in a row, the majority of the 13 scored votes were extreme and partisan nominations both to the federal bench and the Trump administration. For the first time, the 2020 National Environmental Scorecard includes votes on removing public monuments to racism and policing and criminal justice reform. The same damaging system—racism—is at the root of climate injustice, environmental injustice, and police brutality. The 2020 Scorecard, therefore, includes votes that reflect LCV’s belief that these struggles are intertwined and must be addressed together.
LCV has published a National Environmental Scorecard every Congress since 1970. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from more than 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who selected the key votes on which members of Congress should be scored. LCV scores votes on the most important issues of the year, including energy, climate change, environmental justice, public health, public lands and wildlife conservation, democracy, and spending for environmental programs.
Earlier this month, LCV released a new report examining the environmental records of members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), collectively referred to as the Tri-Caucus. Using data from LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard, the report details how members of the Tri-Caucus were champions of strong environmental policies that address environmental injustice, helped chair a record number of hearings about climate change, and led on many of the critical pro-environmental bills during the 116th Congress.
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