Fattah's absence on votes ranks high

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, February, 2007 | by Steve Goldstein

In the office of each member of the House of Representatives is a special clock that rings to announce when a vote is called.

In his dozen years representing Pennsylvania's Second Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah has failed to answer the bell more than any other area member of Congress.

Beginning with the 105th Congress, which opened in 1997, Fattah has missed an average of 9.2 percent of votes cast. The average for all members of Congress in that period is about 4.2 percent.

This year, he has missed 10 of 102 votes in the 110th Congress, or 9.8 percent.

Rep. Robert A. Brady, who like Fattah is running for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Philadelphia, has missed an average of 4.3 percent of votes since he won a special...