WASHINGTON, D.C. — Although Republican members of Congress took the brunt of a beating in recent polls following the government shutdown, U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, is recognized favorably for his voting record.

The National Taxpayers Union ranks the congressman as having the best record on financial issues among all of Michigan's politicians and was given the Taxpayers' Friend Award, according to a release.

Amash, too, is acknowledged for having the second best record in the House of Representatives at 92 percent for cutting spending, taxes, regulation and more.

"... With $17 trillion of federal debt," Amash is quoted in the release, "we have a moral obligation to our children and grandchildren to put the government on a sustainable path."

Amash last week voted against the bipartisan deal that would reopen the federal government after a 16-day shutdown, citing a lack of cuts or reforms he would have liked to have seen. The congressman defended his and many members of his party's actions on WJR's Frank Beckmann on Friday.

"We offered a lot of compromises that (Democrats and President Barack Obama) wouldn't take," Amash said. "We would give ... the spending levels you want, but we're going to defund Obamacare. The president said, 'No.' (We'll) delay the individual mandate, he said, 'No.' We offered a bunch of bills to fund separate parts of government, and he said, 'No.'"

Amash, too, voted against the House Republican Budget in 2012 and 2013. He previously said the 2012 budget's $5.3 trillion in budget cuts did not go deep enough to solve the country's debt problem.

The Taxpayers Union looked at 274 House and 127 Senate votes in 2012 to determine scoring, according to the release.

“If every Member of Congress voted as carefully as Congressman Amash, current and future generations of Americans could enjoy much lower taxes and a less wasteful government,” Taxpayer Union President Duane Parde said in the release.

A request for comment from Amash or his spokesman was not immediately returned.

Andrew Krietz covers breaking and general police/fire news for MLive | The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at akrietz@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.