U.S. House members carry a fundamental obligation: show up, cast votes, and represent the people who sent them to Washington. But congressional absenteeism rates tell a more complicated story. Among the 426 voting members of the House, eight have missed at least 15 percent of roll calls in the 119th Congress. Of the 12 members with the highest absentee rates, seven are Republicans and five are Democrats. On average, members of Congress miss roughly 1 to 3 percent of votes, making the absences at the top of the list stand out considerably.
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38) recorded the highest absentee rate among all House members, missing 26.3 percent of votes. Hunt has been open about the reason. Running for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, he posted to social media in January: "Anytime you run for higher office, you miss votes. Period."
Among Democrats, Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24) missed the most votes at 26.1 percent. She told Florida news outlet Local 10 that many of her recent absences were due to eye surgery. Last month, Wilson announced she will not seek reelection this fall.
Reasons behind absences vary widely. Illness, family emergencies, campaign obligations, and competing travel schedules all factor into a member's congressional voting record. The 119th Congress is no exception.
The bipartisan spread of those who missed votes matters for how the public interprets the data. Congressional absenteeism rates are sometimes used as a political weapon, with one party highlighting the other's absences during campaign season. But when the pattern is shared, the more useful question becomes structural: what conditions produce high absenteeism, and what, if anything, should be done about it?
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