Marco Rubio, Chris Smith earn highest scores in religious freedom scorecard

Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Chris Smith have been ranked at the top in the first-ever scorecard for federal lawmakers on issues of international religious freedom.

The 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, a group that advocates for religious freedom, released the International Religious Freedom Congressional Scorecard, which rates lawmakers based on their sponsorship of legislation, their caucus work and their votes that relate to issues of religious liberty.

Twelve lawmakers received a grade of A+ while 25 others, made up of 12 Democrats and 13 Republicans, were awarded with an A grade, according to The Christian Post.

The scores were based on 25 bills for members of the House and 14 bills for members of the Senate. Lawmakers receive points based on how they voted on a certain bill and whether they were a sponsor or co-sponsor. The original co-sponsors were awarded more points than those who became co-sponsors later in the legislative process.

Former Congressman Frank Wolf said in a statement that the scorecard is "a much needed tool" and it will "help recognize and encourage members of Congress who are doing vital and difficult work promoting religious freedom around the globe."

"Just as important, the Scorecard will inform Americans and help strengthen their voices," he added.

Support for the Frank R. Wolf International Freedom Act, which calls for stronger U.S. responses to religious freedom violations across the globe, increased the grades of the senators and representatives, Religion News Service reported.

Wolf, who is now a distinguished senior fellow at the Wilberforce Initiative, made international religious freedom the focus of his tenure in the House.

Dr. Randel Everett, president and founder of the initiative, said that he was pleased that the results showed that "religious freedom issues can transcend the partisan divide."

The group noted that a third of federal elected representatives are making international religious freedom an "above average" priority based on the scorecard. However, it also pointed out that "the Senate has been less engaged in promoting religious freedom than the House."

The authors of the report said that they hope that the scorecard would encourage recognition of those who prioritize issues of international religious freedom. They are also hoping that it would inspire lawmakers to pay more attention to those who are being oppressed abroad due to their religious identity or practice.