Black has missed 36 percent of U.S. House votes this year while campaigning for governor

As Diane Black runs for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, she has missed more than a third of floor votes in the U.S. House of Representatives this year, reports The Tennessean. That’s far more than the rest of the Tennessee congressional delegation and more than seven of the eight other congressmen running for governor in other states.

From Jan. 1 to June 8, Black missed 36 percent — or 93 of 257 — of all votes cast in the House, according to the nonpartisan site GovTrack.us.

The vast majority of Black’s missed votes came on bills that were easily approved in the House and her presence would not have altered the outcome of the legislation. 

Among the nine current members of Congress running for governor in their home states, Black is second only to Democrat Tim Walz of Minnesota in missed votes. She has missed more votes than those by House members from Florida, Hawaii and Colorado combined.

Black’s missed votes outpaced all other members of the Tennessee congressional delegation this year. The eight other members of the state’s delegation have missed a combined 82 votes. Of those, 40 were by U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker. 

…Chris Hartline, a Black campaign spokesman, said the Gallatin congressman has “balanced performing her official duties and being in Tennessee to talk with voters about her conservative vision for Tennessee’s future and how she will fight to protect Tennessee values.”

Among legislation Black has not voted on in recent months are bills that provide funding to the nation’s military and a proposal related to opioids and veterans. 

Black also did not cast a vote on the so-called “Right to Try Act,” which allows terminally ill patients access to drugs that have yet to receive federal approval. The legislation was a key priority for President Donald Trump.  

…Black was not present to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act, a $717 billion defense bill that House Speaker Paul Ryan touted as a “major step toward rebuilding and reforming” the military.

When the legislation, which was approved with a 351-66 vote, was taken up in the House on May 24, Black was campaigning in Knoxville and Oak Ridge, according to posts on Twitter.

The missed vote came just days after Black tweeted a message of support for members of the armed forces.

…Several of her missed votes came on two separate days when Black attended a gubernatorial debate and forum in Memphis and at the University of Tennessee at Martin, respectively.

“If she had chosen to do the opposite, the media would no doubt attack her for avoiding Tennessee events,” Hartline said.

Beyond the events in Memphis and Martin, Black has not attended several other forums in recent months, including three televised forums co-sponsored by the USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee.

Note: The GovTrack alphabetical listing of all U.S. House and Senate members is HERE and, by clicking on a name, you get considerable information on the individual’s rating by various organizations, voting record, bills sponsored and a missed vote count. Black’s data is HERE. Marsha Blackburn, also running for statewide office, is HERE.