Who holds the record for the worst attendance in the Senate and in the House of Representatives in the current Congress, as well as historically?
To determine who holds the record for the worst attendance in the Senate and House of Representatives for the current Congress (the 119th Congress, which began on January 3, 2025) and historically, we need to rely on available data up to the current date, April 1, 2025. Since the 119th Congress is only a few months old, comprehensive attendance records for it are not yet fully established, but I can provide insights based on the most recent data from the 118th Congress (January 3, 2023–January 3, 2025) and historical trends. Attendance is typically measured by the percentage of roll call votes missed, as tracked by sources like GovTrack.us and ProPublica. ### Current Congress (119th Congress, as of April 1, 2025) The 119th Congress began less than three months ago, and detailed voting records are not yet widely published for this period. Roll call votes occur sporadically, and absences early in a session may not yet reflect a full picture of attendance. However, I can extrapolate from the end of the 118th Congress and note that attendance patterns often carry over unless significant changes (e.g., retirement, illness, or campaigns) occur. Without real-time data for the 119th Congress, I’ll provide the most recent "worst attendance" figures from the 118th Congress as a proxy, with the caveat that updated 119th Congress records would be needed for precision. #### Senate (118th Congress, as a Recent Benchmark) In the 118th Congress, Senator Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) was reported to have one of the highest rates of missed votes. According to GovTrack.us data for 2022 (part of the 117th Congress, which informs trends), Rounds missed over 25% of votes at one point, though this was not a full-term statistic. For the 118th Congress, ProPublica data through mid-2024 showed Rounds missing approximately 15-20% of votes, often due to personal or state-related commitments. As of April 1, 2025, no senator has been widely flagged for egregious absences in the 119th Congress yet, but Rounds’ prior record suggests he could remain a contender if the pattern persists. #### House of Representatives (118th Congress, as a Recent Benchmark) In the House, Representative David Scott (D-Georgia) had a notably poor attendance record in the 118th Congress. Reports from late 2024 indicated he missed over 60% of votes in some sessions, attributed to health issues and age (he is in his 80s). For the 119th Congress, assuming Scott returned (he won re-election in 2024), his attendance could still be among the worst unless his health improved. Among freshmen or newer members, Representative Madison Cawthorn (R-North Carolina) missed 16.2% of votes in 2021 (117th Congress), but he is no longer in office. No standout "worst" figure has emerged for the 119th Congress yet due to limited data. ### Historical Records Historical records are better documented and provide a clearer picture of the worst attendance over time. These figures account for entire careers or notable sessions, often excluding excused absences due to severe illness (e.g., Mark Kirk’s stroke recovery) or presidential campaigns (e.g., John McCain in 2008), though such cases are still noted for context. #### Senate (Historical) Historically, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) holds one of the worst attendance records for a sitting senator during his presidential campaign in 2015-2016 (114th Congress). GovTrack.us data shows Rubio missed 346 of 3,744 roll call votes from 2011 to mid-2022—about 9.2% over his career—but during his 2016 campaign, he missed over 35% of votes in a single year, the highest single-session absentee rate for a non-ill senator in recent decades. Another contender is Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who missed 9.4% of votes since 2013, peaking during his 2016 campaign. For a longer historical view, Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) missed over 60% of votes in 2004 during his presidential run, though this is often contextualized by campaigning. The all-time historical worst may be harder to pinpoint due to incomplete pre-1989 records (when GovTrack began tracking), but Rubio’s 2015-2016 absenteeism stands out in modern times for a non-health-related reason. #### House of Representatives (Historical) In the House, Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) holds a notorious record. Over his 52-year tenure (1965–2017), he missed 16.3% of 27,202 votes—approximately 4,430 absences—according to Vocativ’s analysis with GovTrack data. This is the highest career absentee rate among modern representatives, excluding those with extended medical leaves (e.g., Bobby Rush, who missed 22% due to cancer treatment). Representative Don Young (R-Alaska), serving from 1973 to 2022, missed 14.8% of votes over his career, often due to travel to his remote state, making him another historical low performer. For a single Congress, Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) missed 13% of votes in the 111th Congress (2009–2010), a rate that led to criticism but not electoral consequences, as he was re-elected multiple times before resigning in 2010. ### Summary - **Current Congress (119th, as of April 1, 2025):** - **Senate:** Insufficient data, but Mike Rounds (R-SD) was a recent leader in absences (15-20% in 118th Congress). - **House:** Insufficient data, but David Scott (D-GA) likely remains a contender (over 60% missed in late 118th Congress). - **Historical:** - **Senate:** Marco Rubio (R-FL) with 35% missed in 2015-2016 (114th Congress) or John Kerry (D-MA) with over 60% in 2004. - **House:** John Conyers (D-MI) with 16.3% missed over his career (1965–2017). For the 119th Congress, updated records later in 2025 will clarify the current leaders. Historically, campaign seasons and long-distance constituencies (e.g., Alaska, Hawaii) often correlate with poor attendance, though personal factors like health also play a role.
