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Tenth District Congressman Donald M. Payne received a perfect score for his support of the middle-class. The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy (DMI), a non-partisan and non-profit think-tank, assesses how each Member of Congress fairs on issues regarding social and economic fairness. In its third annual report, Congress at the Midterm: Their 2005 Middle-Class Record, DMI graded US Representatives and Senators on how they voted on legislation ranging from Free Trade Agreements (CAFTA) to the reduction of funding for social programs.
The Bush Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress, with their misplaced priorities, have declared war on the lower/middle-class. Due to their loyalty to corporations and to the upper-class, they have voted on and enacted legislation that has not only caused the shrinking of the middle-class but has also widened the gap between the lower/middle-class and their upper-class counterparts. Therefore, Republican Members of Congress, across the board, averaged failing grades on issues that are pertinent to the majority of Americans.
However, Congressman Payne and many Democrats, through their votes, received not only a passing grade but 100%. “At a time when the national average price of gas has soared over $3.00/ gallon, when over 45 million Americans do not have health insurance, and when the purchasing power of minimum wage earners has steadily decreased since 1968,” Payne states, “it is unfortunate that America’s elected officials are turning a blind-eye to the real needs of their electorate.” Representative Payne continues, “It is disheartening to see that too many Members of Congress forget why they are here – the betterment of not only a select few but to their constituents and all Americans.”
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