Civil and Human Rights Review of First Session of 112th Congress: “One of the Least Productive on Record”
Washington, D.C. –The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights today released vote ratings for every member of the Congress for the First Session of the 112th 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 more than 200 coalition members.
Members of Congress were graded on 18 House and 15 Senate votes addressing jobs, health care, worker’s rights, immigration, and more.
The Leadership Conference blamed the lack of progress on these issues during this session on an unprecedented level of obstruction and polarization. There was a sharp drop in the number of House members supporting civil rights priorities on at least 90% of votes – from 217 during the last Congress to 148 during this Congress. The ratings are neither an endorsement nor condemnation of any member of Congress.
“In historical terms, the session was one of the least productive on record – and one of the least popular,” said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference. “Even routine business – such as raising the debt ceiling and confirming highly qualified judicial and executive branch nominees – fell victim to obstruction, brinkmanship, and political posturing.”
The publication of the Voting Record is accompanied by the 2012 edition of the Civil Rights Monitor, a narrative and journalistic review of the year’s civil and human rights issues. This edition brings substantive commentary on ESEA reauthorization, efforts to slash the federal budget, voter suppression laws, state-level anti-immigrant laws, and much more.
Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference, uses his column to look ahead to what’s in store for Second Session and projects that “the challenge for us going forward is to operate effectively in this new hyperpartisan environment without becoming dispirited or accepting it as the ‘new normal,’ as so many people have.” He continues that “we must deal with the effect our sluggish economic recovery is having on our ability to create jobs…All Americans want government to help ensure that we all have access to good paying jobs. That’s the message that we have to communicate next year, and every year thereafter.”
- To find out how your representative and senator voted, view the Voting Record on The Leadership Conference’s website.
- The Civil Rights Monitor can be downloaded from The Leadership Conference’s web site.
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.