Calling him a "standout" and one of the House of Representatives "best and brightest," Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-26) recently earned a perfect score in the American Conservative Union’s(ACU) 2007 "Rating of Congress." ACU has rated every member of the House and Senate since 1971 and the ratings are widely regarded as the definitive conservative assessment of the federal legislative branch.

"Ronald Reagan taught us the importance of a strong national defense, respect for life, and that the government that governs best governs least. These are the core conservative values I believe in and the ones that I work for every day in Washington, D.C. I am honored to be recognized for doing so," commented Rep. Burgess.

ACU tracks a wide range of issues before the Congress in three general categories:  economic and budget matters, social and cultural issues and issues related to national defense and foreign policy.  The objective is to provide a balanced, comprehensive picture of each member of congress’s ideological predisposition based upon recorded votes.

ACU Chairman David A. Keene said it is not surprising that the 2006 election has resulted in Congress taking a sharp leftward turn. "Elections have consequences and the election of 2006 was no exception," Keene said.  "The overall average score of the House of Representatives fell from 53.1 percent conservative in 2006 to 42.91 percent in 2007 while in the Senate the average score in 2007 was 42.67 percent conservative compared to 49.5 percent in 2006."

Keene noted that, under the Democrats, the House became more polarized with 62 members, all Republicans, earning a perfect 100 conservative rating up from only 8 in 2006, while those earning a perfect liberal score of "0" numbered a record 138.

The 2007 ACU "Rating of Congress is available online at www.acuratings.org or in hardcopy booklet form on request.

# # #