This Democratic Congressman Doesn’t Show Up to Work, And He Won’t Say Why
Democratic Hawaii congressman Kai Kahele has spent almost no time in Washington, D.C., this year, according to a Honolulu Civil Beat report, and the lawmaker refuses to provide an explanation for his absence.
Many members of Congress have taken advantage of the proxy-voting system in place during the pandemic, which allows them to ask other members to vote on their behalf. But Kahele is unique in voting almost exclusively by proxy. According to Civil Beat, the congressman voted by proxy 120 times in 2022. He has voted in person at the Capitol just five times over the course of three days in January.
Kahele’s near-total reliance on proxy voting is a departure from his record in 2021. He voted in person 341 times that year, voting by proxy just 92 times, according to the Ripon Society. But this year, just three members voted by proxy more often, Civil Beat reported.
When the outlet asked Kahele to explain his absence from Washington, the response was unforthcoming, with the lawmaker’s communications director replying in an email that Kahele is “not available.” – READ MORE
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