Shelby's voting record currently ranked third most conservative in U.S. Senate

WASINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is maintaining the third most conservative Senate voting record during the current session of Congress, according to the latest Heritage Action scorecard. Shelby’s score is an eye-popping 99 percent, coming in just behind the Senate’s most outspoken conservative duo, Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), who both earned a rare 100 percent conservative voting record.

Heritage Action is the grassroots advocacy arm of The Heritage Foundation, Washington’s preeminent conservative think tank, which is currently led by former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint.

Shelby told Yellowhammer Tuesday evening that he is proud of his score and believes it is reflective of the kind of representation he’s providing his constituents.

“The people of Alabama deserve for their leaders in Washington to stand up for conservative principles and push back against liberal policies that advance the growing role of government in their lives,” he said. “I remain committed to fighting for a smaller, more effective government and believe that my voting record clearly reflects those efforts.”

Here’s how Heritage Action describes their scorecard and the process they use for tallying their ratings:

The Heritage Action Scorecard measures votes, co-sponsorships, and other legislative activity to show how conservative Members of Congress are.

Identify Issues

Heritage Action identifies upcoming legislative fights and the Heritage Foundation outlines the conservative policy positions. Key votes encompass the full spectrum of conservatism, policies large and small.

Notify Members of Congress

As we announce Key votes, the Heritage Action team alerts Members of Congress, informs conservative activists across the country, and reaches out to the media to ensure reporters cover our position.

Update Scores

We update the scorecard weekly when Congress is in session, ensuring the scores reflect the latest activity. Updated scores help conservatives hold their Members of Congress accountable.

Shelby’s score is particularly noteworthy considering the average Senate Republican currently maintains a 61 percent conservative voting score.

Shelby’s Alabama colleague, Sen. Jeff Sessions, is also maintaining a staunchly conservative rating of 87 percent on the scorecard. They each have lifetime scores of 82 percent and 83 percent, respectively, which is perhaps an indication of just have difficult it can be to achieve a score in the 90s.

Some notable votes that contributed to Shelby’s high score during the current session include:

— Voting against a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that funded President Obama’s “executive amnesty;”
— Voting against confirmed Loretta Lynch, President Obama’s nominee for attorney general;
— Leading the conservative revolt against reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank;
— Voting against funding for Planned Parenthood.

Shelby is up for re-election in 2016, but does not currently face a challenger.

Here are the latest scores for Alabama’s full delegation:

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL5): 99 percent
Sen. Richard Shelby: 99 percent
Rep. Gary Palmer(R-AL6): 96 percent
Sen. Jeff Sessions: 87 percent
Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL1): 86 percent
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL3): 74 percent
Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL4): 71 percent
Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL2): 67 percent
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL7): 13 percent