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Nation’s Largest Taxpayer Group Honors Graham with ‘Taxpayers’ Friend Award’

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) has been recognized by the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) as a ‘Taxpayers Friend’ for his outstanding pro-taxpayer voting record. 

NTU Executive Vice President Pete Sepp said, "Unlike so many of his Senate colleagues, Lindsey Graham did more than just talk about relieving the burden on current and future taxpayers in 2010 – he voted that way day in and day out.  We look forward to working with Senator Graham this year as we restore fiscal responsibility to Washington DC." 

Graham’s score of 97 percent in 2010 is the highest score of any member of the South Carolina delegation in Washington. 

The Taxpayer’s Friend award is bestowed upon Senators who achieve an ‘A’ grade in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress.  The 111th Congressional Rating, which is based on 142 Senate votes affecting fiscal policy, assigns a ‘Taxpayer Score’ to each Senator that indicates his or her support for reducing or controlling federal spending, taxes, debt, and regulation.  The average ‘Taxpayer Score’ in the Senate was 45. 

In 2010, only 79 lawmakers in the House and Senate attainted scores sufficient to win the “Taxpayers’ Friend Award” (earning at least 90 percent in the House or 95 percent in the Senate).  Meanwhile, 264 Senators and Representatives captured the title of “Big Spender” for posting ‘F’ grades (scores of 20 percent or less in the House and 18 percent or less in the Senate).  This is just three shy of the record 267 “Big Spenders” logged in 2009 and 2008. 

NTU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit citizen group founded in 1969 to work for lower taxes, smaller government, and economic freedom at all levels.  Note: The 2010 Rating and a searchable Rating database dating back to 1992 is available at www.ntu.org. 

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