mcarthur_halls_24-37_Congress Watch 7/24/12 1:28 PM Page 24
Nine Senators, 16 Representatives in 112th Congress’ “Hall of Fame” CongressWatch
By Shirl McArthur ith the November general election W rapidly approaching, the
HALL OF FAME Career Pro-Israel
HALL OF SHAME Career Pro-Israel
ative columns with no more than one positive mark. The House and Senate issues are enumerated below:
PAC Donations Senate PAC Donations Washington Report is Senate pleased to again present Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM) $ 272,425 Ayotte, Kelly (R-NH) $ 14,500 its scorecard for the cur- Harkin, Tom (D-IA) 552,950 Blumenthal, Richard (D-CT) 25,500 HOUSE: The Positives 23,502 Blunt, Roy (R-MO) 78,350 1. No “Contain” Iran. In rent members of Con- Kerry, John (D-MA) Patrick (D-VT) 145,911 Boozman, John (R-AR) 8,500 May 2012, the House passed gress. As it has done in Leahy, Rand (R-KY) 2,000 Brown, Scott (R-MA) 15,000 previous congresses, the Paul, Reid, Harry (D-NV) 393,001 Cardin, Benjamin (D-MD) 148,695 the AIPAC-promoted H.Res. American Israel Public Sanders, Bernie (I-VT) 4,000 Casey, Robert (D-PA) 76,300 568, introduced by Ros-Lehti41,500 Collins, Susan (R-ME) 112,000 nen in March, on a roll call Affairs Committee Udall, Tom (D-NM) 0 Coons, Chris (D-DE) 19,000 vote of 401-11, with nine (AIPAC) exerted major Webb, Jim (D-VA) Cornyn, John (R-TX) 67,480 pressure on members of Crapo, Mike (R-ID) 56,500 members voting “present” Gillibrand, Kirsten (D-NY) 77,950 (i.e., abstaining). Among other Congress to sign on to Isakson, Johnny (R-GA) 41,500 things, it says “containing” a letters and measures reLautenberg, Frank (D-NJ) 503,578 flecting not American, Lee, Mike (R-UT) 20,500 nuclear Iran is not an option but hard-line Israeli poMenendez, Robert (D-NJ) 184,318 and affirms the unacceptabilMoran, Jerry (R-KS) 15,700 ity of an Iran with nuclearsitions. Two Iran sancNelson, Bill (D-FL) 179,871 weapons capability. Those tions bills, H.R. 1905 Risch, James (R-ID) 13,500 and H.R. 2105, and the Rubio, Marco (R-FL) 15,600 who voted no or abstained are Schumer, Charles (D-NY) 83,885 recognized in Column 1. Israel “cooperation” bill, Vitter, David (R-LA) 40,500 2. Diplomacy. H.R. 4173, H.R. 4133, were passed introduced by Rep. Barbara so overwhelmingly that House House Lee (D-CA) March 2012, calls those bills are omitted Amash, Justin (R-MI) 0 Bartlett, Roscoe (R-MD) 750 for the U.S. to pursue all from this listing. Earl (D-OR) 2,500 Burton, Dan (R-IN) 143,336 diplomatic avenues to avoid a For the House, five Blumenauer, Conyers, John (D-MI) 5,000 Canseco, Francisco (R-TX) 0 positive and five nega- Edwards, Donna (D-MD) 9,500 Chabot, Steve (R-OH) 20,000 war with Iran. It has 30 cotive issues were chosen. Ellison, Keith (D-MN) 5,500 Chaffetz, Jason (R-UT) 11,000 sponsors, including Lee. In 0 Coble, Howard (R-NC) 0 addition, this May, 71 repreBecause it was difficult Johnson, Eddie Bernice (D-TX) Dennis (D-OH) 14,500 Duncan, Jeff (R-SC) 0 finding positive mea- Kucinich, Lee, Barbara (D-CA) 0 Fleming, John (R-LA) 10,000 sentatives signed a letter to sures, two of the five McCollum, Betty (D-MN) 8,750 Franks, Trent (R-AZ) 1,000 President Barack Obama to 6,000 Gallegly, Elton (R-CA) 50,250 continue diplomatic efforts positive columns reflect McDermott, Jim (D-WA) Gwen (D-WI) 2,500 Gohmert, Louie (R-TX) 0 with Iran. Signers of the letter those who resisted Moore, Jim (D-VA) 3,000 Hartzler, Vicky (R-MO) 0 AIPAC’s pressures. Six- Moran, Olver, John (D-MA) 19,500 Hultgren, Randy (R-IL) 2,000 and co-sponsors of H.R. 4173 teen members registered Pingree, Chellie (D-ME) 5,676 Johnson, Bill (R-OH) 0 are shown in Column 2. 12,750 Lamborn, Doug (R-CO) 3,500 3. Unilateral Statehood. in all five positive Stark, Pete (D-CA) 3,500 Marino, Tom (R-PA) 0 In July 2011, the House columns with no more Woolsey, Lynn (D-CA) McClintock, Tom (R-CA) 0 than one negative mark, McKinley, David (R-WV) 0 passed H.Res. 268, introduced Pence, Mike (R-IN) 83,250 by Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) or in four positive Pitts, Joseph (R-PA) 1,750 and strongly pushed by columns with no negaPoe, Ted (R-TX) 15,000 tive marks, and they are Pompeo, Mike (R-KS) 0 AIPAC. Among other things, shown in the “Hall of Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana (R-FL)* 258,240 the measure says that “PalesSchmidt, Jean (R-OH) 14,000 tinian efforts to gain recogniFame.” Tiberi, Patrick (R-OH) 500 tion of a state outside direct The “Hall of Shame” Turner, Bob (R-NY) 0 lists the 29 House memWalsh, Joe (R-IL) 0 negotiations demonstrates abWest, Allen (R-FL) 12,000 sence of a good faith commitbers who registered in Westmoreland, Lynn (R-GA) 250 ment to peace negotiations, four or five negative Wilson, Joe (R-SC) 250 and will have implications for columns with no more continued U.S. aid.” After rethan one positive mark. *honorary lentless AIPAC pressure, the Because leading Israelfirster Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) ap- country, she is included as an “honorary” vote was 407-6, with 13 voting “present.” Those 19 are recognized in Column 3. parently only signed on to bills with member of the “Hall of Shame.” 4. Two-State Solution. In April 2012, For the Senate, four positive and four which she was directly involved, she did not meet the criteria for the “Hall of negative issues were chosen. Three of the 74 representatives signed a letter to Obama Shame.” However, in recognition of the four positive columns reflect those who expressing their “strong support for active fact that she arguably has done more than resisted AIPAC’s pressures. Nine senators American leadership toward achieving a any other member of Congress to promote registered in three or four positive two-state resolution to the Israeli-PalestinIsrael’s interests over those of her own columns with no negative marks, and they ian and Israeli-Arab conflicts,” and saying are shown in the “Hall of Fame.” The that “U.S. equivocation on support for the Shirl McArthur is a retired U.S. foreign “Hall of Shame” lists those 22 senators emergence of a Palestinian state emboldens service officer based in the Washington, who registered in three negative columns violent extremists.” Signers are recognized DC area. with no positive marks, or in all four neg- in Column 4. 24
THE WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS
SEPTEMBER 2012