WASHINGTON (10 October) – The Center for Security Policy, one of the nation’s leading national security policy organizations, today named U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-9) a “Champion of National Defense”.  The designation came as CSP released its National Security Scorecard which ranks Members of the US Congress based on their support for – or opposition to – policies that support and sustain US national defense.

“In producing the National Security Scorecard, the Center for Security Policy hopes to assist the American people in understanding the performance of their elected officials with respect to vital national security issues and to encourage greater accountability on the part of Senators and Members of Congress for their vote in this portfolio,” said CSP President Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.  “Today we face pernicious and sophisticated enemies who threaten our safety and seek destruction of our very way of life.  Our National Security Scorecard shows that Rep. Bilirakis has a solid and consistent track record as a leader who supports legislation that will ensure that our nation remains strong and secure.” The CSP National Security Scorecard ranks Congressmen based on a composite score of 24 roll call votes and Senators based upon a composite score of 18 roll call votes that would positively or negatively impact our nation’s security landscape. 

While Congressman Bilirakis earned a near-perfect score, more than half the House of Representatives (51%) and nearly half the Senate (46%) scored below a 50% mark on the votes.

Established in 1988, The Center for Security Policy, a non-profit, non-partisan national security organization, assists lawmakers, citizens, and the media to identify challenges and opportunities likely to affect American security, broadly defined, and to act promptly and creatively to ensure that they are the subject of focused national examination and effective action. CSP  is guided in this effort by the time-tested philosophy of the late President Ronald Reagan called “Peace through strength”: International Peace is most likely achieved- and as a result, we are most secure-when America is strong and engaged on behalf of freedom throughout the world.