NORTH JERSEY — Today, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer received a perfect 100% score from the League of Conservation Voters’ 2022 National Environmental Scorecard, based on 19 key congressional votes from the past calendar year to help keep our air and water clean, move toward renewable energy, combat increasing pollution and emissions, protect wildlife and open spaces, help communities fight climate change, and put in place the most important climate investments in our nation’s history.

“I’m honored to receive a 100% score from the League of Conservation Voters, and to stand alongside millions of Americans working hard to protect our environment and fight for the health and safety of our families for generations to come,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Working to protect our environment is something that everyone — Democrats and Republicans — should agree on, so that we can fully protect our air and drinking water, stop off-shore drilling, combat pollution and emissions, fight climate change, and protect our children’s future.”

The nonprofit League of Conservation Voters (LCV) has published a National Environmental Scorecard every Congress since 1970. The Scorecard is the primary yardstick for evaluating the environmental records of every member of Congress. This edition of the National Environmental Scorecard provides objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered and the corresponding voting records of all members of the second session of the 117th Congress. This Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from more than 20 respected environmental, environmental justice, 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, public health, environmental and racial justice, worker protection, democracy, public lands and wildlife conservation, and spending for environmental programs. The votes included in this 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.

“We are proud to have representatives fighting for our future,” said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey LCV. “The New Jersey delegation has an average score of 85%. U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, along with Representatives Josh Gottheimer, Andy Kim, Frank Pallone, Albio Sires, and Bonnie Watson Coleman all earned perfect scores at 100%.”

“What a year of historic progress! In 2022, pro-environment majorities in the House and Senate showed the world what’s possible when leaders are committed to delivering the action on climate, clean energy, jobs and justice voters demand,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “In a year that saw more suffering from the climate crisis and more pain at the pump as oil and gas companies raised energy costs, environmental champions in Congress took transformative climate action to begin to insulate the U.S. from volatile fossil fuel prices and build an affordable clean energy future. This year, we are all in to support the swift, effective, and equitable implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, work with champions in Congress to continue to fight for popular action on climate and environmental justice and block attempts to roll back environmental safeguards, and support the Biden-Harris administration’s finalization of critical health and climate protections across the agencies.”

In Congress, Gottheimer has fought to combat climate change and protect our air, water, wildlife, and all of our open spaces, including:

• Gottheimer helped shape and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, to get lead out of our children’s drinking water, to build the electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure we need for the next generation of vehicles, and to boost climate resiliency.
• Gottheimer helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act to make critical, commonsense investments in clean energy and help cut down greenhouse gas emissions to address climate change.
• Gottheimer announced his Clean Water Action Plan, which includes action taken to help our towns, schools, and water treatment facilities remove dangerous lead and forever chemicals from our children’s drinking water, stop waste dumping in the area, and provide greater transparency to our families about drinking water in our schools.
• Working with local leaders from both sides of the aisle, Gottheimer helped claw back millions of critical federal dollars to North Jersey to help get lead and forever chemicals out of the drinking water in our schools and homes.
• Gottheimer helped lead the fight to stand up against the illegal dumping taking place at the Vernon Waste Mountain and the harm it can have on our environment, on our drinking water, and on our families.
• Gottheimer voted to incentivize the move toward energy independence and alternative energy with electric vehicles, wind and solar power, and power grid transition to clean energy sources.
• Gottheimer announced a Green Action Plan to fight for clean, lead-free water in our schools and communities, protect our cherished parks and open spaces, work quickly and globally to tackle climate change, protect the Jersey Shore from off-shore drilling, and combat toxic dumping in our communities.
• Gottheimer helped pass and sign into law the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act to preserve and protect our country’s public lands and National Parks, including the Fifth District’s Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and parts of the Appalachian Trail that run through the Garden State.
• In 2021, through the American Rescue Plan, Gottheimer helped claw back new federal investment from Washington to North Jersey for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to address Harmful Algal Blooms impacting North Jersey’s lakes’ water, local businesses and recreation, and families.
• Gottheimer also helped pass the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act to fully protect and conserve our land, air, water, and wildlife.

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