Pearce missing votes since launching campaign for governor

March 17--Southern New Mexico did not have a voice one way or the other when it came time for the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on easing pollution limits on some coal plants, limiting regulations on bankers or changing the Americans with Disabilities Act.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, a Republican congressman from Hobbs who is campaigning for governor, missed those votes. In fact, data from the nonpartisan project GovTrack shows he has missed more roll call votes in the House than any other member of the state's congressional delegation so far this year and more than nearly any other member of the chamber.

Pearce has missed 41 votes in 2018 -- about 36 percent, according to GovTrack's data. The New Mexican checked those numbers against the congressional record.

Only four other members of the House have missed that many votes this year, and at least two of them are grappling with medical issues.

The number of votes Pearce has missed spiked as he hits the campaign trail for governor. He missed only seven votes in all of 2017, for example.

The congressman appears to have missed votes somewhat more frequently than his peers.

According to GovTrack's data, he has missed 3.2 percent of roll call votes during his time in office, while the median among representatives currently serving in the House is 2.3 percent.

A spokeswoman for Pearce notes that still amounts to taking part in 8,975 votes out of 9,270 from 2003 to 2008 and from 2011 to the present.

And she pointed to the other role of representatives: serving constituents in what is a sprawling Southwestern district.

"When he's not in Washington, Congressman Pearce is traveling the state, relentlessly working to address the concerns of his constituents," press secretary Keeley Christensen said in an email. "His commitment to the people of New Mexico is the reason he's been overwhelming [sic] elected seven times."

To be sure, Pearce hasn't missed much when he hasn't vote. Many of the missed votes have been on parliamentary procedures or toothless bills -- votes to approve the journal or rename a post office. But some have dealt with the hottest issues in American politics.

In February, for example, the House voted along party lines against advancing a bill that would have expanded background checks for firearm sales, including at gun shows. The vote was on a procedural maneuver, not on the bill itself. But it still cut along party lines.

Also in February, the House voted to amend the Americans With Disabilities Act. The bill's backers argued the changes would make the law more business friendly and stop "drive-by lawsuits." But disability rights groups argued the measure would effectively gut a section of the landmark act.

The congressman also missed votes on two different measures that would have eased pollution limits for some coal plants and brick factories. Backers argued that the measures would protect jobs while environmental groups contended the bills would diminish air quality.

Pearce appears to have had a fundraiser in New Mexico on the day of one of those votes.

U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat from Albuquerque who is also running for governor, has missed one roll call vote so far this year -- a vote on an arcane parliamentary issue.

And Rep. Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat who represents Northern New Mexico, has not missed any votes so far this year, according to GovTrack's data.

Both of them have generally voted as often as, if not more often than, their peers in the House.

Over in the Senate, Democrat Martin Heinrich, who is up for re-election this year, has missed seven votes so far this year, including on proposals to ease restrictions on banks.

But most of those votes came around the time of his father's death this week.

Heinrich missed a total of four votes last year.

According to GovTrack's data, Democrat Tom Udall has not missed any votes so far this year.

And both of the state's senators generally have shown up for votes about as often as their colleagues.

Contact Andrew Oxford at 505-986-3093 or aoxford@sfnewmexican.com. Follow him on Twitter @andrewboxford.

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