Politics

House Bill Would Force Lawmakers Missing In Action To Give Americans Explanation For Absences

[Wikimedia Commons/Public/Drew Angerer, CC BY 4.0, <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>]

Democratic New York Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced a bill Tuesday that would require lawmakers to disclose information about their long absences.

The Duty of Transparency Act would require lawmakers with prolonged absences to file a public notice stating how long they should expect to be out and whether they are able to perform their duties, according to Torres’ office. The legislation followed the long absences of lawmakers, including Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean and Democratic Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson.

“When a public official is absent for an extended period of time, the public has a right to an honest explanation. I’m introducing the Duty of Transparency Act to require Members to disclose extended absences so constituents know where their representative is,” Torres said.

A spokesperson for Torres told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Torres will “encourage all members” to support the legislation, though it is currently a standalone bill backed by the New York Democrat.

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it should be illegal for members of Congress to be absent for extended periods of time without any explanation.

“People can just go missing without explanation? Not just Mitch McConnell, you had another member here that was just gone for four months and didn’t tell anyone where they were, no whereabouts, no transparency, I mean, I don’t even know how this is legal,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 after paramedics found him unconscious in his home in Washington, D.C. His office previously provided no information on his condition, telling the DCNF he was recovering well and working closely with his staff on Senate matters.

The Kentucky senator released a statement Sunday revealing he fell, became unconscious and suffered from a minor case of pneumonia in the hospital. He released a photograph of himself on a hospital bed next to his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

Kean was absent from March 5 until June 30 without publicly disclosing the reason for his long absence. He told the public upon his return that he suffered from depression.

During his absence, Kean traded stocks and approved two travel dates for his chief of staff, Daniel J. Scharfenberger, on March 13 and March 14.

Wilson missed every House vote between April 20 and May 20 after undergoing eye surgery. She announced her retirement in May.