For Immediate Release:
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026

Contact:
Lee Francis | Chief Program & Communications Officer
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(434) 989-3197 | lfrancis@valcv.org

 

Republicans chose fealty to Trump, Big Polluters while Democrats rejected attacks on affordable clean energy, our environment and our democracy

 

RICHMOND – Today, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters released the Virginia congressional delegation’s scores for the League of Conservation Voters’ 2025 National Environmental Scorecard highlighting how our state’s leaders scored on a record number of votes across both chambers.

The 2025 Scorecard exemplifies the stark contrast between Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Republicans repeatedly chose loyalty to the Trump administration and Big Polluters over making life more affordable, safer, and healthier for their own constituents. The result has been threats to voting rights, higher energy costs for working families, lost jobs and economic opportunities, the selling off of tens of millions of acres of public lands and waters to Big Polluters, fewer clean air and water safeguards, a diminished democracy, and increased pollution.

“President Trump’s and Congressional Republicans’ attacks on clean energy are raising Virginians’ electric bills, making our air dirtier, and killing good-paying jobs in the Commonwealth, while lining the pockets of billionaires and big corporations. It’s no wonder they’re also trying to make it harder to vote in this year’s upcoming elections – who would want to face the voters with a record like this?,” said Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “Virginians frankly deserve better than what this Administration and Congress are delivering. We are grateful for the members of our delegation that are standing up to these senseless attacks on our environment and our democracy; they need more allies beside them willing to put their constituents’ interests ahead of Big Polluters’.

“We’ve never seen a Congressional majority so willfully abandon its responsibilities to protect their own constituents and the Constitution and instead relentlessly attack the health and safety of our communities, our environment, and our right to a free and fair democracy,” said LCV Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Sara Chieffo. “Those members of Congress who voted for the Big Ugly Bill, killed clean energy incentives at a time when energy demand is at all-time highs and energy prices are rising higher than ever. It’s no surprise that while this Congress has been doing the bidding of President Trump and Big Polluters, utility costs rose 13% nationwide last year. We commend the members of Congress who forced votes to protect U.S.-made clean energy, our treasured public lands, critical federal agency funding, and our rights — pushing back on extreme Republican efforts to make it harder for people to vote and hand even more power to Trump.”

The full delegation’s scores for 2025 are:

U.S. Senate

 

U.S. House of Representatives

* Rep. Connolly was absent for roll call votes 110, 111, 112, 113, and 114 due to a medical emergency. He died on May 21, 2025.
** Rep. Walkinshaw was sworn in on September 10, 2025.

The 2025 Scorecard scored 34 Senate votes including:

• 11 amendments showing where members stood on affordable clean energy, manufacturing jobs, public lands, and federal workers on the Big Ugly Bill and its final passage (which LCV double scored)

• 7 nominees picked solely for their loyalty to Trump and fossil fuels

• 13 Congressional Review Act (CRA) attacks on clean air and water, wildlife, and public lands

The Scorecard scored 32 House votes including:

• 8 bills driving up energy costs by blocking clean energy or giving handouts to dirty energy and the final passage of the Big Ugly Bill (which LCV double scored)

• 4 bills undermining public input on decisions affecting our environment and communities

• the SAVE Act to make voter registration more onerous

• The same 13 Congressional Review Act (CRA) attacks on clean air and water, wildlife, and public lands scored on the Senate side

This adds up to a combined record-high number of 66 votes in the annual Scorecard undermining the programs and laws that advance a safe climate, environment, and democracy.

The 2025 National Environmental Scorecard also highlights the leadership of members of Congress in the Tri-Caucus who led bills and initiatives for climate, conservation, environmental justice, and free and fair elections. These pro-environment, pro-democracy champions in Congress fought tirelessly against Republican-led attacks. Leadership from members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) scored an average of 99% on the 2025 National Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard also honors longtime champion for environmental justice, for public lands and for climate action former House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl Grijalva of Arizona who passed away in February 2025.

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 lcv.org/2025-scorecard.

 

About us:
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.

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