Scores examine how Nevada’s Congressional leaders voted to protect health, environment, and democracy during the 117th Congress
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Today, Nevada Conservation League released Nevada delegation scores on the League of Conservation Voters’ 2021 National Environmental Scorecard examining how federal leaders voted to champion the environment and protect our democracy, while others failed to do so. The Scorecard is the primary yardstick for evaluating the environmental records of members of Congress since 1970 and is available for download here, in Spanish here, and online at scorecard.lcv.org.
2021 was an unprecedented year. We endured heightened federal attacks on the foundation of our democracy and in Nevada we continue to suffer effects of extreme heat, scorching wildfires, and severe drought while working to recover from the losses from an ongoing global pandemic.
“In 2021, our nation faced historic opportunities and consequential challenges. These moments reminded us how critical our elections are in determining leaders who, in the face of intersecting crises, will continue to listen to science and stand with their communities,” said Nevada Conservation League Executive Director Paul Selberg. “We are proud to have pro-environment representatives in both chambers who worked alongside this administration to pave the way for progress on climate action and voting rights protection. Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen and Representatives Titus, Lee, and Horsford continued to leverage their political power to defend our health, environment, and democracy. We know the work is still not done. Nevada needs our delegation to work with the White House and their colleagues in Congress to ensure that we pass the climate, environmental justice, and clean energy jobs investments laid out in the Build Back Better agenda.”
Federal Leader | 2021 Score | 116th Congress Score | Lifetime Score |
Senator Cortez Masto | 100% | 96% | 97% |
Senator Rosen | 100% | 96% | 97% |
Representative Titus | 100% | 98% | 96% |
Representative Amodei | 22% | 16% | 8% |
Representative Lee | 96% | 96% | 96% |
Representative Horsford | 100% | 98% | 87% |
View the 2021 National Environmental Scorecard.
The 2021 Environmental Scorecard measures votes cast during the first session of the 117th Congress. In Nevada, Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen and Representatives Titus, Lee, and Horsford earned a score of 96 percent or greater, up from the group’s 2020 score. Representative Amodei was given a score of 22 percent, down from the previous session. Nevada’s Senators averaged 100 percent and House Representatives averaged 79 percent.
Pro-environment and pro-democracy leaders across both chambers and the White House undid much of the damage from the Trump administration and made progress in key areas. While the Build Back Better Act and vital democracy reforms passed the House, they remain stalled in the Senate by unanimous Republican opposition.
In the past 50 years, LCV has never felt it necessary to score the basic votes that uphold our country’s peaceful transfer of power and electoral outcomes. This year was different. With the unprecedented January 6th insurrection and so many attacks by Republican members of Congress on the fundamental tenets of our country’s governance, LCV scored these votes, in both chambers.
“While 2021 was an incredibly difficult year for our democracy and our climate, it was a sea change from the Trump presidency,” said LCV Senior Director of Government Affairs Matthew Davis. “Our pro-environment, pro-democracy trifecta made strides toward an equitable clean energy future in 2021. Nevada has clear champions for our environment and democracy and others who are not delivering for their communities at a critical time. We see the last year as the foundation for accomplishing the transformational change we need in 2022. The Biden-Harris administration took bold steps towards tackling the interwoven climate and racial justice crises, the House passed the Build Back Better Act and democracy reforms, and now it’s up to the Senate to pass the transformational investments needed to combat the climate crisis and protect our democracy.”
The 2021 Scorecard includes 22 House votes, half of which were justice and democracy-related votes such as the vitally important voting rights bills. The 34 Senate votes include six justice and democracy votes. This reflects the need to safeguard the fundamentals of our governance from numerous federal judiciary and state and local policy attacks on our democracy and voting rights which primarily target people of color.
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. The votes included in the Scorecard presented members of Congress with a real choice and help distinguish which legislators are working for environmental protection. More information on individual votes and the Scorecard archive can be found at scorecard.lcv.org.