Rubio and Paul each received a a “perfect 100 percent” score. | AP Photos ACU: Rubio, Paul perfect vote record

Sens. Marco Rubio and Rand Paul were among around 40 House and Senate members to receive a perfect conservative voting score from the sponsor of next month’s Conservative Political Action Conference, according to the group’s rankings released on Thursday.

The American Conservative Union, which is sponsoring the high-profile CPAC conference, has released its annual list of which lawmakers have met its standards for promoting conservative principles — and which have not.


In the Senate, Rubio and Paul — both mentioned as possible 2016 presidential contenders — were awarded the “Defenders of Liberty” designation, receiving a “perfect 100 percent” score on their voting records. Joining them were: Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.).

( PHOTOS: Rand Paul’s career)

Lawmakers are scored on a variety of votes related to fiscal, foreign and social policies, among other issues. Key votes included ones concerning the Keystone pipeline, tax cuts, defense spending and spending oversight.

( PHOTOS: Marco Rubio's career)

On the House side, 34 members earned the Defenders of Liberty title, including Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Tom Price (R-Ga.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).

Twenty senators were deemed “True Liberals,” earning a score of zero percent, including . Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Eighty-eight House members were also titled True Liberals.

The release also named lawmakers that earned a score of at least 80 percent.

“On behalf of our entire Board of Directors, I applaud and thank the many Senators and Representatives who achieved perfect or high scores on our 2012 ACU Ratings of Congress,” ACU Chairman Al Cardenas said in a statement released on Thursday. “Their unwavering commitment to our shared conservative principles stands in stark contrast to the liberals in Washington who continue to want an expanded role for government at taxpayers’ expense.”