Rep. Boustany proposes docking pay for House members who miss votes

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) proposed legislation on Monday that would force members of the House to lose a day's worth of their salary if they miss even one vote on that day.

"Serving as a member of Congress is not a part-time job. The primary duty of a member of Congress is to advocate on behalf of its constituency by casting important votes," Boustany said Tuesday.

"Some of my colleagues take their office for granted and refuse to accept this responsibility," he added. "They habitually miss important votes on key policy initiatives and legislation by leaving early or arriving late in order to attend fundraising and campaign events."

Boustany's bill, H.R. 6085, would not only dock members a day's pay for a missed vote but would require the House to post a publicly available record of absences online.

Members could only miss votes if they submit a written notice to the House Speaker explaining that either they are sick, or a member or someone in their family is sick. Under the bill, these changes would take place on Jan. 1.

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