CDF Action’s Legislative Report Card
The Children’s Defense Fund Action (CDF Action) Legislative Report Card provides a comprehensive, nonpartisan assessment of the work each Member of Congress has done on behalf of children.
In 2020, we reintroduced the Legislative Report Card after nearly a decade, marking our first publication since 2011. Prior to this, our scorecards focused solely on congressional votes, as many legislative scorecards still do today. However, due to fewer votes directly affecting children and the increasing complexity of legislation bundled into omnibus bills, we paused publication. We felt that relying on limited votes did not produce a meaningful reflection of Congress’s work for children.
With the 116th Congress, we adopted a fresh approach, learning from political scientists to create a more comprehensive and nuanced scorecard. Our Legislative Report Card now considers more than just votes—members of Congress are also credited for sponsoring or co-sponsoring bills that support children’s well-being. Conversely, points are deducted for sponsoring or supporting harmful legislation. This data is then converted into an A-F grading scale for each voting member.
This updated Report Card spans a broad range of issues critical to children’s lives. By the end of the 117th Congress, it covered 749 bills related to child poverty, health, education, early childhood care, immigration, gun violence prevention, housing, youth justice, and child well-being. Moving forward, the Report Card will be updated quarterly to reflect new legislative activity.
A full list of the bills evaluated in this Report Card is available here.
We have broadened the scope of included bills beyond those CDF actively worked on because we recognize that supporting children is an intersectional effort. However, to keep CDF’s priorities at the forefront, actions supporting CDF-endorsed legislation are awarded extra credit.
It’s important to note the limitations of our system. Some members of Congress may score differently than expected if their committee assignments focus on issues outside CDF’s scope. For example, work on foreign affairs is not reflected in our scorecard, as we focus on domestic policy. Leadership positions also present unique challenges in grading, as their behind-the-scenes influence isn’t easily measured. As a result, congressional leaders are assigned an “L” grade, denoting their leadership role rather than a standard letter grade.
We also acknowledge data limitations. A more comprehensive report might include committee votes, floor statements, and other forms of public leadership. As we continue to refine our model, future versions of the Report Card may incorporate these elements for an even deeper analysis.
We believe this new model offers an unprecedented look at how Congress is serving America’s children.
Start exploring our Legislative Report Card here.