AbsentCongress.org
is the website that tracks the voting records by attendance for the
United States Congress. The Top 10 most absent Senators for 2007 are:
Rank Name Party Score Money Owed($)
1 Tim Johnson (D-SD) 0% $27,533.67
2 Sam Brownback (R-KS) 56.36% $10,501.67
3 Daniel Inouye (D-HI) 60% $9,288.25
4 Joseph Biden (D-DE) 74.55% $7,986.50
5 Kit Bond (R-MO) 78.18% $5,250.83
6 John McCain (R-AZ) 87.27% $5,008.08
7 Craig Thomas (R-WY) 80% $4,897.83
8 Chris Dodd (D-CT) 83.64% $4,699.25
9 Ted Stevens (R-AK) 80% $4,390.42
10 Barbara Boxer (D-CA) 87.27% $3,485.83
Chuck Schumer (D-NY) 87.27% $3,485.83
Here is how the system works. United States Senators are paid $165,200
per year. The monthly salary of the Senate is divided by the number of
votes accumulated in the month. For example, in the month of January,
the Senate had 39 votes, and therefore each vote cost the American
taxpayer $353 per Senator. A Member who missed 3 votes in January owes
the American taxpayer $1059.
Normal Americans are not afforded the privilege of being paid for work
they do not do. Members of Congress must be held to that same standard.
AbsentCongress.org is asking that each Member who misses a vote, repay
the Department of the Treasury for their missed work.
Eliminating government waste must start with Congressional
accountability and transparency in overcompensation. According to the
2000 Census, the
Median Income
of an American family is $42,000 per year. Senators, alone, earn 393%
more than the average US household. If Members are not able to make
votes because of personal business, they must resign their post
representing the people of their state.
For the Senators and Congressmen who did not miss a vote,
AbsentCongress.org will send each member a “Perfect Attendance”
certificate.
Congress has a constitutionally enumerated duty to represent their
constituents through voting. Members must not be floating around the
country on personal business or other Senate business when they should
be fighting and scratching for every inch of representation for their
constituents in the Halls of Congress. After all, what business is more
official than voting?