Press Release - The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Congressional Civil Rights Scorecard Released: How Did Your Member of Congress Measure Up?
For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Westbrook Simpson, 202.466.2061, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
October 28, 2010
Washington, D.C. –The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights today released vote ratings for every member of the 111th Congress. The Voting Record, which has been published for every Congress since 1969, reflects positions taken by every senator and representative on the legislative priorities of The Leadership Conference and its 200 coalition members.
Members of Congress were graded on forty House and Senate votes addressing hate crimes, economic recovery, fair pay for women, the repeal of "don't ask ,don't tell", health care, fair sentencing, DC voting rights, key judicial confirmations, and other coalition priorities.
Overall, the ratings show that 217 House members and 50 senators – or 48 percent of Congress – supported The Leadership Conference's priorities on 90 percent or more of the votes. The ratings also show that 136 House members and 32 senators – or 35 percent of Congress – supported The Leadership Conference's position on only 10 percent or fewer of the votes. The Leadership Conference's Voting Record is neither an endorsement nor condemnation of any member of Congress.
The publication of the Voting Record is accompanied by the Fall 2010 edition of the Civil Rights Monitor, a narrative and journalistic review of the year's civil and human rights developments. This edition reviews the state of play on immigration reform, crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparities, LGBT civil rights, the jobs crisis, and other significant issues.
"This is a Congress that will be remembered for making tremendous progress on a number of issues important to the civil and human rights community, but also one that could have accomplished so much more, were it not for an unprecedented increase in the use of filibusters and other tactics to stop important legislation and highly qualified executive and judicial nominees," said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
"When Congress returns to work in November, we are hopeful that senators and representatives will seize the opportunity to build a positive legacy by filling dozens of critical federal judgeships, passing the Paycheck Fairness Act and the DREAM Act, and strengthening our military by repealing the discriminatory and counterproductive 'don't ask, don't tell' policy," Henderson said.
To find out how your Representative and Senator voted, view the Voting Record on The Leadership Conference's website at http://www.civilrights.org/advocacy/voting/2010/leadership-conference-2010-voting-record.pdf.
The Civil Rights Monitor can be downloaded from The Leadership Conference's website at http://www.civilrights.org/monitor/fall-2010/civil-rights-monitor-2010.pdf.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.