The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Issues Scorecard for 117th Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rafael Medina, [email protected], 202.869.0390

WASHINGTON – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights released its scores for every member of the first session of the 117th United States Congress. The Voting Record, which has been issued for every Congress since 1969, reflects the votes taken by every senator and representative on the legislative priorities of The Leadership Conference. The Leadership Conference’s Voting Record is neither an endorsement nor condemnation of any member of Congress.

“With a change in political power from previous years, this Congress has pushed forward more critical civil and human rights priorities,” said Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference. “Yet, many priorities of the civil rights movement remain incomplete, from voting rights to justice reform to economic security. We will continue to fight until all of our priorities are a reality because this is how we create a more just society.”

This Voting Record examines 22 House of Representatives and 43 Senate votes taken by members of Congress from January 2021 through December 2021. It addresses civil rights issues including the census, voting, economic security, education, workers’ rights, health care, immigration, key judicial and executive branch nominations, and more. Overall, 224 House members and 50 senators supported our positions on 90 percent or more of the votes included in the report.

The introduction to the Voting Record reads:

“The majorities in both chambers were held together by razor thin margins… [and that] was reflected in what Congress was — and was not — able to accomplish, or even consider on the floor. Of the 65 civil and human rights votes included in this year’s Voting Record, only 10 — relating to five pieces of legislation — were final passage votes for legislation that was enacted into law. Of those bills, three could pass with a 50-vote majority in the Senate and two contained enough concessions to garner bipartisan support. The vast majority of the remaining votes were executive and judicial nominations in the Senate, which could pass with simple majority support, and essential civil and human rights bills that passed the House but have yet to see the light of day in the Senate.”

For five decades, the Voting Record has played a critical role in educating the public about important civil rights issues as well as encouraging people to engage in informed conversations with their elected representatives. To find out how senators and representatives voted on key issues during the first session of the 117th Congress, read the Voting Record here. To download a detailed chart with all of the votes, click here.

To read past editions of the Voting Record dating back to the 91st Congress, click here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 230 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 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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