The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) just released its rating of the 1st session of the 110th Congress. Meanwhile Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has released its Pig Book.
The NTU ratings are based on 609 roll call votes (427 in the House, 182 in the Senate).
NJ House of Representatives members had an average NTU score of 22% (national average of all House members was 35%). Andrews, Pallone, and Rothman were tied for last place with 4%. The NJ US Senate members, Lautenberg and Menendez, both earned an F with an average score of 8% (with a national average of all Senators of 37%).
The CAGW Pig Book tracks Congress by the cost of sponsored bills. Surprisingly New Jersey ranks 43rd in per capita pork with only $20.78 of pork per NJ resident compared to the national average of $33.77.
I would suppose that this shows that our representatives are quick to vote on others' pork yet are not effective in bringing pork back into New Jersey? This may explain why NJ continually ranks at the top of federal tax dollars paid versus received. In 2005, NJ residents paid $9,902 in taxes per capita, yet received back only $6,740 per capita in federal spending.
Joining the NTU data with the Pig Book data shows:
| Representative | NTU Score | Total Cost of Sponsored Bills |
| Senator Lautenberg | F (8%) | $288.9 Million |
| Senator Menendez | F (7%) | $286.4 Million |
| Representative Andrews | F (4%) | $22.3 Million |
| Representative Ferguson | D (26%) | $12.1 Million |
| Representative Frelinghuysen | C( 53%) | $86.8 Million |
| Representative Garrett | A (88%) | $12.3 Million |
| Representative Holt | F (5%) | $21.4 Million |
| Representative LoBiondo | D (24%) | $43.0 Million |
| Representative Pallone | F (4%) | $13.7 Million |
| Representative Pascrell | F (6%) | $33.3 Million |
| Representative Payne | F (5%) | $23.1 Million |
| Representative Rothman | F (4%) | $71.4 Million |
| Representative Saxton | C- (37%) | $26.2 Million |
| Representative Sires | F (5%) | $47.3 Million |
| Representative Smith | D (26%) | $14.0 Million |