With the end of the congressional term, a new “Congressional Report Card for the 99%” grades lawmakers on a series of bills that either “feather the nest of America’s most affluent” or “enhance economic opportunities of our 99 percent.” The report card, by the Institute for Policy Studies, assigns each lawmaker a grade “A+” through “F” and gives each state a GPA. The group notes “Part of what makes this report interesting is that not all Democrats rate so great, and not all Republicans are so terrible — though some Republicans might be left stammering to explain why they got an ‘F’ and what they have done to reduce inequality.”

Among the findings:

“Republicans dominate the report card’s ‘dishonor roll.’ They make up the entire list of the 48 representatives and 11 senators with an ‘F’ grade.

“Not all Democrats distinguish themselves as champions of greater equality. Seventeen lawmakers who caucus with the Democrats rate only at the ‘C’ level.

“Arkansas had the worst grade point average among the members of their congressional delegation, earning a GPA of only 0.7 out of a possible 4.0.

“The most ’99 percent’ friendly state: Vermont. The Green Mountain state’s two senators and one House member brought home straight ‘A’s for a 4.0 GPA.

“Of the 10 states with the nation’s most uneven distribution of income, according to just-released Census data, only one — Massachusetts — has senators and representatives with a composite average ‘A’ level score.

“Within each chamber of Congress, Republicans orient themselves much closer to a strong ‘1 percent friendly’ agenda than Democrats orient themselves to a strong ’99 percent friendly’ agenda.”

Report co-authors — Scott Klinger, Sam Pizzigati, Sarah Anderson and Chuck Collins — are available for interviews. Contact: Lacy MacAuley, [email]