Environment New Jersey said regardless of political party, senators and representatives in New Jersey voted consistently to promote clean energy, reduce global warming pollution and oppose offshore drilling.

"The environment is a bipartisan issue in New Jersey. It doesn't matter if you're a Republican or a Democrat. You're worried about the air you're breathing, the water you're drinking and open space," Environment New Jersey spokesman Doug O'Malley said.

"The nation's first conservationist was a Republican. President Theodore Roosevelt was one of the nation's biggest proponents of environmental protection," he added.

U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, both D-N.J., sided with the environmental group on all seven votes it identified as most important to protecting the environment in the past two years.

Among the Senate votes was a cap on global warming pollution, the extension of tax credits for alternative energy and a bid to block expansion of offshore drilling - all measures the Senate rejected.

New Jersey's delegation fared much better on the scorecard than many other states. O'Malley said southern New Jersey's tourism industry has a mutual interest in maintaining a clean and safe environment.

Among the congressmen who earned perfect marks from the group were U.S. Reps. John Adler, D-3rd; Frank Pallone, D-6th; Steve Rothman, D-9th; Donald Payne, D-10th; Rush Holt, D-12th; and Albio Sires, D-13th.

U.S. Reps. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, and Rob Andrews, D-1st, scored 80 percent and 93 percent, respectively, for siding with the nonprofit group over most of the 15 measures identified as key to the environment last year.

Among them: opposing a proposal to open new offshore drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, spending $32 billion on national parks and public land, and promoting a clean-energy bill and a bill protecting 2 million acres of public land as wilderness.

LoBiondo lost points for voting against extending tax incentives encouraging wind and solar development, voting against the $78 billion stimulus package, which included grants for renewable energy and transportation efficiencies and voting against the 2009 federal budget.

"Congressman LoBiondo has historically had a very strong environmental record," O'Malley said. "His scorecard continues to reflect that commitment to protecting southern New Jersey and the clean-energy economy."

Andrews was absent during a vote over the Consolidated Natural Resources Act, which gave protections to public land slated for development, mining and logging.

O'Malley said Andrews has supported many statewide environmental issues, particularly over the controversial plan to dredge the Delaware River.

U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett, R-5th, scored lowest, siding with the environmental group on three of the 15 issues.

The report identified 26 senators and 17 representatives across the nation as "natural disasters" for voting contrary to the group over every issue. All 43 were Republicans.

Contact Michael Miller:

609-272-7247

MMiller@pressofac.com