As Congress was voting on a proposal to overturn the Obama administration’s massive new environmental regulations Kirkpatrick was…well, where was she? She certainly wasn’t voting on overturning a rule that puts a billion-dollar burden on Arizona’s Navajo Generating station, a cost that would be passed on to ratepayers across the state.
Kirkpatrick hasn’t offered any reason for her absence but bailing on important policy decisions is part of a growing trend. Upon returning to Congress in 2013, Kirkpatrick promptly skipped out on her duties, absent from her job as Congress was voting on critical disaster relief legislation that could have provided wildfire relief funds for rural Arizona:
“It’s not a flattering statistic to start out her return to Congress. In just the third and fourth days that Congress was in session this year — Jan.14 and 15 — U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., missed 16 votes…Some rural constituents in the 1st Congressional District, which sprawls across northeastern Arizona, apparently are disappointed Kirkpatrick wasn’t in Washington to lobby to include wildfire-suppression funding in the relief bill.” (Rebekah L. Sanders, “Kirkpatrick Misses 16 Votes In House,” Arizona Republic, 1/20/13)
Kirkpatrick owes Arizonans an explanation for her absence: Where was she? And why didn’t she stand up for Arizona families, farmers, and businesses when they needed her?
BACKGROUND
Kirkpatrick Did Not Record A Vote On S.J. Res 23, Which Would Overturn An EPA Rule That Set Limits On Carbon Emissions From Newly Built Power Plants That Use Coal Or Natural Gas. (S.J. Res 23, CQ Vote #651: Passed 235-188, R 231-10, D 4-178, 12/1/15, Kirkpatrick Did Not Vote)
Kirkpatrick Did Not Record A Vote On S.J. Res 24, Which Would Overturn An EPA Rule That Mandated A 32 Percent Cut In Carbon Emissions For Existing Power Plants By 2030. (S.J. Res 24, CQ Vote #650: Passed 238-178, R 238-2, D 4-178, 12/1/15, Kirkpatrick Did Not Vote)