Showing up for votes at the Capitol continued to be a challenge for some members of Congress in 2024, with health issues and election-year absences driving the drop in attendance.
According to CQ Roll Call’s annual vote studies, the rate of House lawmakers casting votes was 94.7 percent in 2024, a drop from 96.9 percent in 2023 and from the record highs of 2021 and 2022, when the Democrat-led House gave members the option to cast proxy votes on colleagues’ behalf during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the House lawmakers facing health issues in 2024 was Arizona Democrat Raúl M. Grijalva, who was diagnosed with lung cancer and made only 12 percent of votes. Prior to winning a 12th term last fall, the Tucson-area congressman announced that he would not run for reelection in 2026. He also relinquished his position as top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee in December.
