American Family Project Rates Lawmakers on the Family

The eyes of pundits, poll watchers, and concerned Americans are focusing in on the critical battleground states in the next week.

In contrast to previous elections, the comeback of the cultural issues are on the rise as well as the economic agenda.

The American Family Project, Inc. wants to put the family at the center of all public policy discussions including everything from education and gender identity to the economy and foreign policy.

To give families a better understanding of just which elected officials stand on their values, AFP just released their first Congressional Family Sentiment Scorecard.

It is based on 30 votes in the House of Representatives during the 117th Congress through July 2022. To receive a Pro-Family designation, officials need a score of 70%. There were 185 House members who scored Pro-Family, with 15 scoring 100%.

Thomas McDonough, executive director, said: “We were disappointed that all Democrats were scored as Anti-Family. Our Statement of Principles refers to perennial truths and we hope that in the future an equal number of members from both parties will receive Pro-Family rankings. I just can't see consistently being rated Anti-Family as a successful long-term strategy for the Democrats."

To the surprise of many, 33 House Members who scored high pro-family ratings nevertheless also voted for the Respect for Marriage Act (HR 8404), which, by codifying Obergefell (the 2015 Supreme Court ruling upholding same sex marriage) makes same-sex marriage national policy.

The measure might also preclude most Christian organizations from obtaining government grants or contracts.

"This act most deeply contradicts the core values of American Family Project and demonstrates the need to educate House members on the traditional family and its crucial role in society," according to McDonough.

The American Family Project's finding are accessible to the public at their website.

This is the latest scorecard system that seeks to inform voters about issues that matter to them, their spouses, and children. In an increasingly secular society, it might be one of the few such scorecards to deal with issues dealing with the family.

Michael Cozzi is a Ph.D candidate at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.