Making the grade: black congressional members pass NAACP test - Washington Report

Black Enterprise, June, 2002 by Cliff Hocker

The African American members of the House of Representatives are making the grade--at least according to the NAACP. While more than half of the members of the House received a failing grade on the NAACP's Federal Legislative Report Card for the 107th Congress' first session, which wrapped up in December 2001, 24 of the 37 African Americans in the House received an A.

The grades among African American congressional members are not surprising. Traditionally, black congressional members--the Democrats at least--vote in line with the left-leaning NAACP. "The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has traditionally done very well on our report card," points out Kweisi Mfume, president and chief executive officer of the NAACP. "Considering the fact that African American congress-people traditionally lead all other members in scoring on the report card, the question becomes are the other members of congress going to improve their grades."

While that question may be impossible to answer, analysts believe that the report card does have an impact on elected officials. "Those black politicians who got a C on the score card would be in some trouble back home among their voters," says Robert Charles Smith, professor of political science at San Francisco State University. "I think they know that, and, therefore, they pay some attention to it." He adds that even nonblack officials with a substantial number of African American constituents would be concerned about their grade.

Every two years, the NAACP selects roll call votes crucial to its agenda. Legislators' grades reflect how many times their votes matched the NAACP's position. By midterm of the 107th Congress, the NAACP had tracked 22 key votes in the Senate and 14 in the House. Other grades for African American Congress members include 24 As, eight Bs, three Cs, and an incomplete for Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.), who was elected in June 2001. The NAACP has issued a report card for all members of the House and Senate since 1914.

Not surprisingly, the sole failing grade among blacks in Congress was given to Rep. J.G. Watts (R-Okla.), the only black Republican and the only one who is not a member of the CBC. Watts, who voted in line with the NAACP 21% of the time, voted against NAACP counsel on matters such as the president's tax plan, "high-stakes" testing, which would require students in certain grade levels to pass standardized tests, and school voucher provisions of the Education Reform bill and Faith-Based Initiative legislation, which Watts himself sponsored.

Watts' office repudiates the NAACP's assessment. "Chairman J.C. Watts Jr. has championed a long record of legislative initiatives and accomplishments through Congress aimed at strengthening Americans of African decent," states spokesperson Kyle Downey. Downey asserts that Watts' efforts have yielded African Americans a $26 million funding increase for historically black colleges and universities and the creation of 40 renewable communities through the American Community Renewal Act. The act, signed into law in December 2000, creates government-designated areas in lower-income neighborhoods that provide pro-growth tax benefits, environmental clean up, and home ownership opportunities to lure businesses. It encourages investments and savings, Watts asserts, and offers families their choice of public schools.

Voting for final passage of the election reform bill cost Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Md.). "I thought it was absolutely essential that we get the $400 million out into communities so that they could buy new equipment. It was a case of not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good," says Wynn. His education reform vote favoring high-stakes testing brought his grade down to a B.

While most CBC members voted in harmony with the NAACP, several lost points over H.R. 3295, the Help America Vote Act of 2001. Among other things, the bill sought to provide states with funds to replace punch card voting systems and to establish the Election Assistance Commission to facilitate the administration of federal elections.

Lorenzo Morris, professor of political science at Howard University, thinks the report card has its greatest impact in a close election. But as an analytical tool, Morris finds the report lacking "because there are assumptions of the left-leaning tendencies of African American congressional candidates," he says. "I think analysts do not consider it, but that doesn't mean it won't have an affect in marginal cases."

The Census Bureau states that African Americans made up 12.3% of the American population in 2000. This percentage is expected to increase in the coming years. As that happens, the NAACP Congressional Report Card and similar reports are likely to carry more weight in Washington, D.C.

NAACP
Report Card
37 Black Voting Members
of the 107th Congress

Grade   Member of Congress                State

A       Rep. Eva Clayton                  D-NC
A       Rep. John Conyers                 D-MI
A       Rep. Danny K. Davis               D-IL
A       Rep. Earl Hilliard                D-AL
A       Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick           D-MI
A       Rep. Donald Payne                 D-NJ
A       Rep. Robert Scott                 D-VA
A       Rep. Maxine Waters                D-CA
A       Rep. Melvin Watt                  D-NC
A       Rep. William Clay Jr.             D-MO
A       Rep. Elijah Cummings              D-MD
A       Rep. Chaka Fattah                 D-PA
A       Rep. Alcee Hastings               D-FL
A       Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.            D-IL
A       Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee           D-TX
A       Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones        D-OH
A       Rep. William Jefferson            D-LA
A       Rep. Barbara Lee                  D-CA
A       Rep. John Lewis                   D-GA
A       Rep. Cynthia McKinney             O-GA
A       Rep. Gregory Meeks                D-NY
A       Rep. Major Owens                  D-NY
A       Rep. Charles Rangel               D-NY
A       Rep. Bennie Thompson              D-MS
B       Rep. Corrine Brown                D-FL
B       Rep. Julia Carson                 D-IN
B       Rep. James Clyburn                D-SC
B       Rep. Harold Ford Jr.              D-TN
B       Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson        D-TX
B       Rep. Bobby Rush                   D-IL
B       Rep. Fdolphus Towns               D-NY
B       Rep. Albert R. Wynn               D-MD
C       Rep. Juanita Milender-McDonald    D-CA
C       Rep. Sanford Bishop               D-GA
C       Rep. Carrie Meek                  D-FL
F       Rep. J.C. Watts Jr.               R-OK
I       Rep. Diane E. Watson              D-CA *

SOURCE: NAACP

* INDETERMINATE SCORE BECAUSE OF PARTIAL TERM
NAACP's Key House of Representatives Votes in 2001

Bill             Description                  Date Voted

H. R. 3          The President's Tax Plan      3/8/81

H. R. 1          Education Reform/High         5/22/01
                 Stakes Testing

H. R. 1          Education Reform/School       5/23/01
                 Vouchers

H. R. 1          Education Reform/School       5/23/01
                 Construction Funds

H. R. 2052       Sudan Relief/Final Passage    6/13/01

H. R. 7          Charitable Choice/Motion      7/19/01
                 to Recommit with
                 Antidiscrimination Language

H. R. 2563       Patients' Bill of Rights/     8/2/01
                 Limit Liability Amendment

H. R. 169        Notification and Federal      10/2/01
                 Employee Antidiscrimination
                 and Retaliation Act Final
                 Passage

H. R. 3090       Economic Stimulus Package/    10/24/01
                 Substitute

H. Con Res. 102  Africa Relief/Passage         12/5/01

H. R. 3129       Immunity for U.S. Customs     12/6/01
                 Service Racial Profiling/
                 Passage

H. R. 3295       Election Reform/              12/12/01
                 Rule Preventing Amendments

H. R. 3295       Election Reform/Motion to     12/12/01
                 Recommit

H. R. 3295       Help America Vote Act of      12/12/01
                 2001/Final Passage

                                       NAACP
Bill             Outcome: Yea/Nay    Position

H. R. 3          Passed: 230/198     Opposed

H. R. 1          Failed: 173/255     Supported

H. R. 1          Failed: 155/273     Opposed

H. R. 1          Failed: 207/223     Supported

H. R. 2052       Passed: 422/2       Supported

H. R. 7          Defeated: 195/234   Supported

H. R. 2563       Agreed to: 218/213  Opposed

H. R. 169        Passed: 420/0       Supported

H. R. 3090       Failed: 166/261     Supported

H. Con Res. 102  Passed: 400/9       Supported

H. R. 3129       Failed: 168/256     Opposed

H. R. 3295       Passed: 223/193     Opposed

H. R. 3295       Failed: 197/226     Supported

H. R. 3295       Passed: 302/63      Opposed

SOURCE: NAACP