Senate Report Card: Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)

Kay Bailey Hutchison is the senior United States Senator from Texas. She was elected in 1993 in a special election and is the most senior female Republican senator.

When Hutchison joined the senate, she pledged to a two term limit, since she was in favor of term limits for the legislative branch of government. Legislation to limit terms in the senate never passed, and Hutchison has since reneged on that promise, being elected past her two terms. She argued that giving up her seat in the senate would put Texas at a disadvantage not having a long term senior senator on committees.

Kay Bailey Hutchison serves on the Appropriations, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Rules and Administration and Veterans Affairs committees. She has been a strong supporter of NASA. She is ranked mostly as a moderate in terms of economic policy, social policy and foreign policy. As a whole she is a staunch supporter of President Bush.

As far as the issue of abortion, Hutchison is rather moderate compared to some of her more conservative colleagues on the Republican side. She has supported a few abortion rights, but is against any federal funding for abortions. She remarks that she is against abortion, but not in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. In fact, she worked with the attorney who won the Roe v. Wade case in legislation that would prevent the publishing of rape victims' names.

Senator Hutchison proposed the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act," which would have done away with D.C.'s handgun bans. She was in favor of dismantling the act that has allowed the use of rifles and shotguns in the city, but banned handguns, in favor of allowing all guns in the city.

In 2006, Hutchison reportedly received the most amounts of campaign contributions of any member in Congress, according to moneycentral.com. She has voted against bans on oil drilling in the Alaska Arctic Wildlife Refuge. She has supported bills to allow drilling in the Refuge on numerous occasions. She's voted to remove funds for renewable and solar energy. According to the League of Conservation Voters environmental scorecard, Hutchison received a rating of zero.

The Senator opposes a mandated withdrawal from Iraq and is in favor of the President's troop surge. She opposes a timetable withdrawal from Iraq. Hutchison voted in favor of giving the President authority to wage war with Iraq.

Kay Bailey Hutchison remains a powerful figure in the Republican Party, her name has been circulated as a possible Vice Presidential candidate and is named as one of the women who could hold the office of President. Her name was floated as a possible candidate for Governor of Texas, against Governor Rick Perry. She declined, but remains a possible contender for the 2010 Texas Governor race.