WASHINGTON – Wyoming residents can be proud of the fiscal responsibility exercised by U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., in 2007.  A report card issued by the National Taxpayers Union to gauge lawmakers’ commitment to reduce spending, taxes, debt and regulation ranked Enzi at the top of Congress with an ‘A’ grade and 260 U.S. senators and representatives with an ‘F.’

“This award not only recognizes those who are exercising fiscal responsibility on behalf of the American people, but it also shows us the work that still needs to be done with nearly half of Congress receiving an ‘F’ rating.  American families are expected to live on a budget and the federal government should be no different.  We’ve got to keep spending in check and taxpayers’ money in their pockets, not the federal coffers,” said Enzi, the Senate’s only accountant.
 
This year, Enzi was one of only 10 U.S. Senators to receive the 2007 Taxpayers’ Friend Award for consistently voting to reduce and control the burden on American taxpayers.  Duane Parde, President of the National Taxpayers Union, praised Enzi for his dedication to managing national spending and taxes. 

"While many members of Congress talked about reducing the size of government last year, Senator Enzi backed up those words with votes,” Parde said.  “This award proves that he is a staunch ally in our battle to restore fiscal responsibility to Washington."

Ranked as the fifth most fiscally conservative out of all 100 senators, Enzi’s pro-taxpayer score of 86 percent was one of the best in the entire Senate.  The National Taxpayers Union rating, which is based on every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy, assigns a "Taxpayer Score" to each member of Congress that indicates his or her commitment to reducing or controlling federal spending, taxes, debt and regulation.  During 2007, only 52 lawmakers, including Enzi, earned scores sufficient for an ‘A’ grade.  Meanwhile, more than 260 senators and representatives captured the title of “Big Spender” for posting ‘F’ grades in 2007.

The 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union was founded in 1969 to work for lower taxes, smaller government and greater economic freedom at all levels. For more information about the National Taxpayers Union, visit www.ntu.org.