Congressman Don Young is being recognized with a rather unflattering distinction -- The New York Times dug through the attendance records of members of Congress, and found that Young missed a significant chunk of votes during his latest term in office.
According to the Times review, Young was absent for more than 16 percent of all votes so far in the 112th Congress.
Excluding lawmakers who are ill or recovering from injuries, like Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and excluding the two representatives running for president, the vote rankings leave Young as the congressman who has been most absent from voting.
The article mentions one specific important vote that Young missed: a budget measure back in July called Cut, Cap, and Balance.
An aide explained that Young missed the vote because he was back in Alaska on a fishing trip out of Whittier, in honor of his late wife Lu Young, who passed away in 2009.
"There is more that goes into being an effective Congressman than just voting. Certainly, that is an important part of the job, but so is meeting with constituents, attending events back in Alaska and participating in House hearings,” said Luke Miller, Young’s press secretary.
Ivan Moore, an Alaska-based pollster thinks Young is mostly immune from any criticism over his voting absence.
“I think people take Don for what he is and they've elected him enough times that I don't think this is really going to change things,” said Moore.
