Md.’s Congressional Dems Get High Marks from Catholic Social Justice Group
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, a national organization that advocates for social and economic justice, has given high marks to Maryland’s Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives for their votes on legislation in 2019.
The group used 10 bills that passed the House last year to issue its report card. All of Maryland’s Democratic House lawmakers received perfect scores except two: U.S. Reps. Anthony G. Brown and Jamie B. Raskin received 90% scores because they opposed the USMCA trade agreement.
The late Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D), who died in October, voted with the network 100% of the time but was not present for the final four votes that the group scored.
Other measures that the network supported included legislation to close the gender pay gap; protections for LGBTQ members in education, housing and the workplace; voting rights bills; and legislation to lower prescription drug prices.
Maryland’s lone Republican congressman, Andrew P. Harris, scored just 10% on the group’s report card, for his support of the USMCA trade deal.
Pointedly, the Catholic social justice group said it would offer no scorecard for the U.S. Senate, due to “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s yearlong refusal to hold votes on critical legislation in 2019.”
Almost without exception, congressional Democrats rang up high scores on the Catholic group’s report card.
“Since taking the Majority, House Democrats have worked hard for the people, including passing legislation to raise wages, lower health care prescription drug costs, expand access to the ballot box, protect DREAMers, and prevent discrimination against LGBTQ Americans,” Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), who had a perfect score, said in a statement. “I was pleased to bring these critically important bills to the floor and ensure their passage as Majority Leader.”