WASHINGTON — Hawai'i's congressional delegation members, all Democrats, scored above average last year in sticking with their party's positions in voting on issues from Iraq war funding with troop withdrawal timelines to expanding the state children's health insurance program, according to an independent vote analysis.

Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Dan Akaka and Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono also were above average among Democrats in voting against President Bush's legislative positions, according to Congressional Quarterly, an independent publication that tracks congressional votes.

"As a proud Democrat, I have consistently supported core Democratic values that include support for America's working families and our nation's most vulnerable," Inouye said of his voting record.

The House party unity rankings were based on 730 of 1,177 roll call votes for which a majority of Democrats voted against a majority of Republicans.

Democrats voted with their party an average of 92 percent of the time, the highest level in either chamber recorded by Congressional Quarterly since it began the study in 1953.

Abercrombie sided with his party 97 percent of the time, his highest score in six years.

Dave Helfert, spokesman for Abercrombie, said it was because Democrats were setting the agenda for the first time since 1994, when Republicans captured the majority.

Hirono, a House freshman who voted with her party 99 percent of the time, agreed that Democratic control of the House gave the party the opportunity to advance legislation supporting working class families.

"I have a district that consists of ... middle-class people who care about how they are going to afford college, whether they are going to get hit with the alternative minimum tax — a lot of seniors who care about health- care issues," she said.

Despite her voting record, Hirono said she does not have a problem with being independent of the party.

For the Senate, the analysis looked at 266 of the 442 roll call votes last year where a majority of Democrats sided against a majority of Republicans.

Democrats sided with their party an average of 87 percent of the time.

Inouye voted with Democrats 94 percent of the time compared with 90 percent in 2006 and 2005. Akaka, another solid Democrat, voted with the party 95 percent of the time.

Another measure of voting trends gauges support for the president's positions. In the Senate, it is based on an analysis of 97 roll call votes on which the president took a clear position.

Senate Democrats opposed the president's positions an average of 57 percent of the time.

Inouye ranked 13th among all Democratic senators in opposing Bush's positions, voting against the president almost 64 percent of the time last year compared with 56 percent in 2006.

Akaka voted against the president 60 percent of the time.

In the House, last year's presidential support was determined by 117 votes on which the president took a clear position.

Democratic House members voted against the president's position an average of 90 percent of the time.

Abercrombie voted against Bush 94 percent of the time, up from 83 percent in 2006.

Hirono said her 96 percent score in voting against Bush showed she often disagreed with his positions.

Some of the votes against Bush's position came when Hirono and Abercrombie voted for bills to create a future Native Hawaiian government and increase the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour over two years. Another vote was on an earlier version of the energy bill that provided billions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives for renewable energy and conservation efforts but increased taxes on oil companies. Bush and Congress eventually agreed on an energy package without the incentives and taxes.

Reach Dennis Camire at dcamire@gns.gannett.com.