Arches National Park, Double O Arch / NPS

For voters who consider public lands and national parks when they head to the polls next week, you'll want to check out the Congressional scorecard from the National Parks Action Fund. The scorecard assigns a grade to each member of the House of Representatives — the Senate didn't hold any votes that affected national parks in 2024 so that chamber wasn't included. 

Unfortunately, more F's were recorded than A's. Fifty-one percent of Congress received a C, D, or F rating, with 47 percent receiving A's. Vote to slash the budget or to approve of projects that may harm national park access or resources, and you get a poor grade.  

In the House, legislation passed that included severe funding cuts for the National Park Service (to the tune of 6 percent in 2025), put endangered species at risk, and reduced protection for natural and cultural sites. The National Park Service's budget for maintenance and repairs would be slashed by more than $22 million, and the preservation budget cut by $20 million. 

The Congressional scorecard shows how each member of the House voted during the 118th Congress. If they've been a sitting member of the House, you can can see how they've voted on national park and public lands issues over the past few years. 

"We do this not to complain about a member of Congress," said Kristen Brengel, executive director of National Parks Action Fund. "We do this because we want the members of Congress to vote better next time and to see the wisdom of voting pro-park."

Have a look at the scorecard, here, you can search for your representative by state or zip code.