Judicial Watch Names LDS Senator Harry Reid One Of Washington’s Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians for 2012

On December 31st, 2012, Judicial Watch, a non-partisan public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, released its 2012 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians”. The list, in alphabetical order, includes:

• Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
• Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Ambassador Susan Rice
• Attorney General Eric Holder
• Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL)
• Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
• President Barack Obama
• Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
• Rep. David Rivera (R-FL)
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

Yep. One of our own, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), is on that list. Cited as justification includes the fact that Reid has been running interference for ENN Energy Group, a Chinese green energy client of the Nevada law firm of which Reid’s son, Rory, is a principal. Rory helped ENN locate a 9,000-acre desert site that it is buying well below appraised value from Clark County, where Reid formerly chaired the county commission. The reported purchase price of $4.5 million is far below two separate appraisals that valued the property at $29.6 million and $38.6 million. Despite this perk, ENN has failed to move forward for the simple reason that there is currently no market in Nevada for the green energy ENN claims it could produce. In addition, Sen. Reid has sponsored at least $47 million in earmarks that directly benefitted organizations that one of his sons, Key Reid, [RW1] either lobbies for or is affiliated with.

And since this story broke, Sen. Reid faces more troubles. St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson says new Utah Attorney General John Swallow helped broker a deal in 2010 in which Johnson believed he was to pay Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid $600,000 to make a federal investigation into Johnson’s company go away. But when the federal government filed a lawsuit Johnson thought he had paid to quash, he demanded Swallow return some of the $250,000 initial payment. Then, just days before the November 6th election, Johnson engaged in a frenetic but unsuccessful effort to get Swallow to drop out of the race, saying information about what Johnson called a “bribe” would come out and force the Republican’s resignation if he became attorney general. Johnson said he does not know if any of the money he paid in the deal actually reached anyone connected to Reid. As for Sen. Reid, his office declined to comment, spokeswoman Kristen Orthman said on Friday January 12th. Since Swallow emphatically denies Johnson’s allegations and says he doesn’t understand why Johnson is spreading lies about him, this could end up to be a tempest in a teapot.

But with all this political "smoke" surrounding Senator Harry Reid, one has to wonder if there isn't a fire buried somewhere amidst that smoke. In the Las Vegas Review-Journal, columnist Sherman Frederick takes Senator Reid to task, saying that "he's got the grace and instincts of an outhouse rat". The Review-Journal is no friend of Reid, having endorsed his opponent Sharron Angle in 2010 despite her obvious deficiencies.

The progressives who dominate the LDS Bloggernacle and who are not representative of mainstream LDS political opinion have avoided these stories like the plague, although if a Republican was in similar trouble, they'd be trumpeting it from the housetops.

Bisexual Arizona Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema Finally Confirms She Is No Longer Officially A Member Of The LDS Church

The confusion over whether or not bisexual Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ9) is still officially a Mormon has been resolved. On January 3rd, 2013, the Ogden Standard-Examiner confirms Sinema is no longer an official member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The confirmation is published in the following excerpt:

Sinema says she left the Mormon Church after graduating from BYU with a bachelor’s degree, the start of an educational odyssey that has also led to a master’s degree in social work, a law degree and doctorate in justice studies at Arizona State University. Her parents and stepparents have remained in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her father and stepmother are currently on a Mormon mission in the Philippines, she says.

“I have great respect for the LDS church - their commitment to family and taking care of each other is exemplary,” Sinema says. “I just don’t believe the tenets of the faith that they believe.”

It's not really that big of a deal; if someone decides Mormonism is not for them, then they should find a different belief system more reflective of their perspective rather than stick around and incessantly whine and bitch and dump their angst upon the members. But like so many other members of Congress, Sinema contributed to the confusion by initially spouting some New Age gobbledygook about how she was not a member of a faith community. In addition, there were reports that she was still permitting home visits by visiting teachers. Why was it so hard for her to answer the question? Are you officially a member or not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? The fact that she thinks it should not matter is irrelevant -- as a Congresswoman, she is now accountable to the people, and transparency is no longer merely an option, but a REQUIREMENT.

The rest of the Standard-Examiner story is also of interest. Congresswoman Sinema comes from a background of stark poverty; her parents were also divorced during her childhood. Her $174,900 salary as a member of Congress will be the largest of her life. And although she's a Democrat, she ran afoul of progressives like Randy Parraz when she condemned his witch hunt campaign against former State Senator Russell Pearce. She's acquired a number of political friends on the conservative side of the aisle. Sinema doesn't remember precisely when she decided she was bisexual, because to her it simply doesn't matter. She doesn't want to wear it on her sleeve or become a sexual crusader.

But if she really wants to be effective, she needs to establish a reputation of answering questions straight up with no equivocation. The American people are tired of politicians who tap dance around issues.

Mormons In Congress: Incoming 113th U.S. Congress Will Include 16 Latter-Day Saints; New Pew Survey Lists Only 15 Mormons

Update January 3rd, 2013: Post re-titled to reflect the fact that Kyrsten Sinema has been removed from the U.S. House list after confirmation that she's no longer a member of the Church.

Update November 19th: Post re-titled to reflect reference to new Pew Forum Congressional Religious Survey released on November 16th.

Now that the 2012 U.S. elections have been concluded, we know how many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be serving in the incoming 113th Congress, to officially take office on January 3rd, 2013. A total of 17 LDS members, the most ever, will be present. Hat tip to By Common Consent for some of the background information.

All incumbents who ran for re-election were returned to their posts. Rep. Jeff Flake switched successfully from the House to the Senate; he will continue serving in the House until seated as a senator on January 3rd. One LDS member, Wally Herger (R-CA), chose to retire. Three new LDS members were elected to various seats. On BCC, there was some dispute as to whether or not Tom Udall and Kyrsten Sinema should be on the list, but Udall indisputably identifies as Mormon, and Sinema's visiting teacher identified Sinema as a member of her ward in Arizona, at least back in August 2012. So both are included on my list below.

Since this post was published, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released their own survey, and they claim there are only 15 Mormons in Congress. The difference: Pew lists Kyrsten Sinema as having "None", and fail to include Eni Faleomavaeg on their list.

The lone member of the Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized LDS) serving in Congress, Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA), lost his bid for re-election. Names are directly linked to their official Congressional websites with the exception of Matt Salmon, Kyrsten Sinema, and Chris Stewart, who are linked to their official campaign websites until they are officially seated on January 3rd, 2013.

(1). U.S. Senate:
-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
-- Michael Crapo (R-ID)
-- Harry Reid (D-NV)
-- Dean Heller (R-NV)
-- Tom Udall (D-NM)
-- Mike Lee (R-UT)
-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

(2). U.S. House:
-- Matt Salmon (R-AZ)
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA)
-- Raul Labrador (R-ID)
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID)
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT)
-- Chris Stewart (R-UT)
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa)

**According to HuffPo, Sinema was raised Mormon and is bisexual. Sinema does not consider herself a nonbeliever, adding that she prefers a secular approach. Kyrsten believes the terms non-theist, atheist or nonbeliever are not befitting of her life's work or personal character. Initially, it appeared that Sinema was still officially on the membership rolls of the LDS Church, according to her visiting teacher, so I included her on the list. However, on January 3rd, the Ogden Standard-Examiner published confirmation that Sinema is no longer officially a member of the LDS Church. So I deleted her from this list.

Wally Herger (R-CA) continues to serve his district until the end of his term on January 3rd, 2013. He did not seek re-election.

The only member of the Community of Christ in Congress, Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA), was defeated in his re-election bid. He will leave the U.S. House on January 3rd, 2013 after 16 years of service.

How LDS Members Of Congress Voted On The Debt Ceiling Compromise Package, Also Known As The Budget Control Act Of 2011

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always urged its members to avoid unnecessary debt whenever possible, and to extract themselves from necessary debt at the earliest opportunity. My first lasting memory of LDS activity after my conversion in 1964 was then-President David O. McKay frequently counseling us to get out of debt and stay out of debt. As recently as July 2011, the Ensign Magazine published an article entitled "Getting Out of Debt — for Good", in which Luke V. Erickson, a personal and family finance educator, advises people to make a firm commitment to avoid debt in the first place, but failing that, eliminate your debts systemically through the practice of "debt snowballing". The timing of this article seems particularly inspired considering the national debate taking place over America's debt ceiling and the national debt of over $14 trillion.

So it's of interest to examine how LDS members of Congress voted on the debt ceiling compromise legislation just passed and signed by President Barack Obama on August 2nd, 2011. The bill, which first passed in the U.S. House 269-161 on August 1st and then in the U.S. Senate by a 74-26 vote on August 2nd, was piggybacked to S.365, a technical amendment to the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. The actual legislation is called the Budget Control Act of 2011, which can be read HERE. CNN has the main story HERE. It basically trades an increase in the debt ceiling for matching cuts in the budget over a period of time; read this CNN cheat sheet for a more expanded summary.

So how did LDS members of Congress vote? First, from the Senate roll call:

-- Michael Crapo (R-ID): Yes
-- Dean Heller (R-NV): No
-- Harry Reid (D-NV): Yes
-- Tom Udall (D-NM): Yes
-- Mike Lee (R-UT): No
-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT): No

And from the House roll call:

-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ): No
-- Wally Herger (R-CA): Yes
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA): Yes
-- Raul Labrador (R-ID): No
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID): Yes
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT): No
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): No
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT): Yes
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa): Did not vote

The bipartisanship shown by LDS members of Congress mirrored that shown by the respective bodies in general. Those in favor acknowledged that the bipartisan agreement is far from perfect, but said it cuts America's debt by trillions, while safeguarding Social Security, Medicare and VA beneficiaries. Those opposed wanted to tie the bill to a mandate for Congress to adopt a constitutional balanced budget amendment as a hard cap against excessive spending.

The LDS Church took no public position on the bill.

LDS Senator Harry Reid Addresses Nevada State Legislature, Calls For An End To Legalized Prostitution In The State; Most Nevadans Disagree

At one time, LDS Church President Ezra Taft Benson was alleged to have questioned whether one could be both a good Mormon and a Democrat. On February 22nd, 2011, U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) provided strong proof that one can be both.

The occasion was Senator Reid's annual address to the Nevada State Legislature. The Reno Gazette-Journal provides the best coverage, although the Carson City Nevada Appeal is located at the state capital. During his speech, Senator Reid addressed education, the folly of term limits, and renewable energy. He touted the stimulus as having cut taxes for more than a million Nevadans and keeping teachers in the classroom. He even claimed that the stimulus secured for Nevada a bigger increase in Medicaid match funding than every other state in the union. He also justified TARP, saying "...I’ll never forget the meeting we had – just a handful of us – with President Bush’s Secretary of the Treasury, Hank Paulson, and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. I’ll never forget sitting in that room on that Thursday when they told us how close we were to not having an economy on Monday. They told us what we needed to do to save ourselves. And acting as partners rather than partisans, we did it".

Read the full transcript of Senator Reid's speech as one page HERE.

But it was a small part of the speech that triggered the greatest controversy and attracted the media interest. In a state where legalized prostitution is one of the leading industries, Senator Reid called upon the state legislature to abolish it. Here's the key excerpt:

I recently met with a group of businessmen who run data centers for technology companies. They visited Storey County to see about opening a facility there, a move that would have created desperately needed jobs.

Storey County does a lot of things right. It’s the home of the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, which is the largest of its kind in the country. But one of the businessmen in that meeting told me he simply couldn’t believe that one of the biggest businesses in the county he was considering for his new home is legal prostitution. I’ve talked to families who feel the same way – parents who don't want their children to look out of a school bus and see a brothel. Or to live in a state with the wrong kind of red lights.

So let’s have an adult conversation about an adult subject. Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment – not as the last place where prostitution is still legal. When the nation thinks about Nevada, it should think about the world’s newest ideas and newest careers – not about its oldest profession.

We should do everything we can to make sure the world holds Nevada in the same high regard you and I do. If we want to attract business to Nevada that puts people back to work, the time has come for us to outlaw prostitution.

KTNV Channel 13 reports that it's the illegal enterprises operating in Las Vegas that should be branded with the bullseye. "What's giving Nevada a black eye are the peddlers in Las Vegas, shoving fliers and business cards in people's faces, families' faces, advertising girls to your rooms," said Debbie Rivenburgh, General Manager of The Chicken Ranch in Nye County. Rivenburgh points out that her girls work by strict standards in a safe environment to perform legalized sex acts. The majority of big spenders mainly tourists, seek out the rural location just outside of Pahrump from outside Nye County.

Pew 2010 Forum Study Confirms 15 Latter-Day Saints, Mostly Republican, In The New 112th Congress

On November 4th, 2010, I published an update on how candidates belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fared in Congressional elections on November 2nd. It showed that the new 112th Congress would include 15 Mormons.

This has just been confirmed by the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life, which released a breakdown of the faiths and denominations of the members of the incoming 112th Congress on January 5th, 2010. It reveals that the percentage of LDS members in the new Congress is up slightly from the last session, although still greater that the percentage of Mormons in overall society. The number of Mormons increased from 14 to 15.

Latter-day Saints now comprise 2.8 percent of the body vs. 1.7 percent of the American public. LDS members make up 5 percent of the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and 2.3 percent of the House (the latter also includes Eni Faleomavaega, the non-voting delegate from American Samoa).

-- Read the full list of members of Congress and their religious affiliations HERE, alphabetized by state.

(1). U.S. Senate:
-- Michael Crapo (R-ID)
-- Harry Reid (D-NV)
-- Tom Udall (D-NM)
-- Mike Lee (R-UT)
-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

(2). U.S. House:
-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
-- Wally Herger (R-CA)
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA)
-- Raul Labrador (R-ID)
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID)
-- Dean Heller (R-NV)
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT)
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa)

The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized LDS) is also represented in Congress in the person of Leonard Boswell (D-IA). Though having just a fraction of the Utah-based LDS membership, the Community of Christ is fairly strong in Missouri, southern Iowa, and Illinois.

The LDS Church is officially committed to the principle of political neutrality. The Church’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians. The LDS Church does NOT:

* Endorse, promote or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms.
* Allow its church buildings, membership lists or other resources to be used for partisan political purposes.
* Attempt to direct its members as to which candidate or party they should give their votes to. This policy applies whether or not a candidate for office is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
* Attempt to direct or dictate to a government leader.

The LDS Church further states that "Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and may not necessarily be in agreement with one another or even with a publicly stated Church position. While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent".

How LDS Members Of The U.S. House Of Representatives Voted On Repeal Of The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy Towards Gay Service Members

On December 15th, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 250-175 to pass a standalone bill to repeal the U.S. military's 17-year-old "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy towards gay servicemembers.

-- Read the full roll call vote grouped by state HERE, or by party HERE.

Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), the incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been quoted extensively in national media as a supporter of DADT. According to HuffPo, McKeon said that passing a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" by the end of the year would be an affront to the military because it wouldn't allow time for full and proper consideration of the matter. Although McKeon stated he hadn't yet taken a personal position on the issue at the time, he does have deep reservations about repealing the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the military. McKeon also cited concerns by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey and Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos, who said on Tuesday December 14th that repeal would be a distraction that could cost soldiers their lives.

McKeon ultimately joined the 175 who voted No, and afterwards said Democrats "were more concerned about 'don't ask don't tell,' I believe, than about the military and about carrying out our responsibilities for those who are laying their lives on the line every day to protect us. That's a bad system."

So how did the nine LDS members of the House vote on repeal of DADT? Here's the scorecard:

-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ): Yes
-- Wally Herger (R-CA): No
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA): No
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID): No
-- Dean Heller (R-NV): No
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT): No
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): No
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT): Yes

Eni Faleomavaega, the non-voting delegate from American Samoa, did not vote on the bill.

Flake's Yes vote was surprising, since he broke ranks with other LDS Republicans. After the vote, Flake said "I've always believed that implementing a new policy was the right thing to do, so long as the leaders of our military were okay with it...While there isn't unanimity, the military appears ready to implement a new policy."

The next move is up to the U.S. Senate, which has crafted a repeal bill designated S.4023 which is identical in language to the House measure in order to better facilitate passage. Prospects of passage are promising, since not only do all 58 Democratic senators plan on voting for the bill, but four Republicans, Olympia Snowe (ME), Susan Collins (ME), Scott Brown (MA), and Lisa Murkowski (AK) have announced their intention to join them. Of the five LDS senators, Republicans Orrin Hatch (UT), Bob Bennett (UT) and Michael Crapo (ID) are likely to vote No, while Democrats Harry Reid (NV) and Tom Udall (NM) are likely to vote Yes.

Update December 18th: My predictions on the senators partially came to pass. On December 18th, the U.S. Senate voted 65-31 to proceed with debate on legislation that would overturn the military ban on openly gay troops known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Bennett and Crapo voted No, while Reid and Udall voted Yes. Orrin Hatch inexplicably did not cast a vote. Read roll call vote HERE.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not taken an official position on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

How LDS Congressional Candidates Fared In The November 2010 General Election; Number Of Mormons In Congress Increases To 15

Update January 5th 2011: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has now issued a report on its survey confirming that the new 112th Congress has 15 Mormons; see updated post HERE.

Update November 10th: The Mormon Times has now picked up on this story. Mormonism-Unveiled appreciates the recognition -- and the link.

On December 29th, 2008, I published a list of 14 known members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who serve in Congress.

With the November 2010 midterm elections just concluded, I decided it would be a good time to check up on how they fared. Of the 14, two senators were not up for re-election. The remaining 12 lawmakers were successfully re-elected. In addition, they have been joined by a 15th LDS member, Raul Labrador (R-ID). And they may be yet joined by a 16th member, David Harmer (R-CA), whose election is still too close to call. [Ed. Note: Harmer has now officially lost, so the number is set at 15.]

Source: Except where otherwise linked, Politico 2010 election map.

(1). U.S. Senate:

-- Michael Crapo (R-ID): Defeated Tom Sullivan (D) 71.1% to 25.0%

-- Harry Reid (D-NV): Defeated Sharron Angle (R) 50.2% to 44.6%

-- Tom Udall (D-NM): Not up for re-election until 2014.

-- Bob Bennett (R-UT): defeated at the Utah State Republican Convention in May; replaced by Mike Lee (R), who's also LDS and who defeated Sam Granato (D) 61.6% to 32.8%.

-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT): Not up for re-election until 2012.

(2). U.S. House:

-- [AZ HD6] Jeff Flake (R-AZ): Defeated Rebecca Schneider (D) 66.2% to 29.4%

-- [CA HD2] Wally Herger (R-CA): Defeated Jim Reed (D) 56.7% to 43.3%

-- [CA HD25] Howard McKeon (R-CA): Defeated Jackie Conaway (D) 61.7% to 38.3%

-- [ID HD2] Mike Simpson (R-ID): Defeated Mike Crawford (D) 68.8% to 24.4%

-- [NV HD2] Dean Heller (R-NV): Defeated Nancy Price (D) 63.3% to 32.6%

-- [UT HD1] Rob Bishop (R-UT): Defeated Morgan Bowen (D) 69.5% to 23.8%

-- [UT HD3] Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): Defeated Karen Hyer (D) 72.5% to 22.9%

-- [UT HD2] Jim Matheson (D-UT): Defeated Morgan Philpot (R) 50.7% to 45.9%

-- [American Samoa] Eni Faleomavaega (D) (non-voting delegate from American Samoa): Re-elected with 56.3% of the vote, defeating Aumua Amata (R), who received 36.6%

Additions:

-- [ID HD1] Raul Labrador (R-ID), who is LDS, defeated incumbent Democrat Walt Minnick 51.0% to 41.2%

-- In addition, there is one more U.S. House race involving a Mormon that is still too close to call. In California HD11, Republican David Harmer, identified as LDS, challenged Democratic incumbent Jerry McNerney. As of this post, Politico shows McNerney leading by 47.5% to 47.4%; this is only a 134-vote lead. There are tens of thousands of absentee ballots remaining to be counted.

-- Update November 12th: McNerney now leads Harmer by 1,685 votes, but there remain an estimated 11,000 votes yet to be counted in the four counties the 11th Congressional District covers: Alameda, San Joaquin, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties.

-- Update December 7th: Harmer formally concedes to McNerney, whose final margin of victory was 2,658 votes.

And finally, the lone member of the Community of Christ (formerly RLDS) in Congress, Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA), defeated Brad Zaun (R) 50.7% to 46.7%. I do not count Boswell on the list because the list is reserved for those belonging to the Utah-based LDS Church.

How Latter-Day Saints In The U.S. House Voted On H.R. 2647, Which Extends Hate Crimes Protection To Gays Wrapped Inside A Defense Authorization Bill

On October 8th, 2009, H.R. 2647, which embeds hate crime protection for gays under the protective cover of a defense authorization bill, passed 281-146. The vote split nearly along party lines. Of the 281 Yes votes, 237 were cast by Democrats and 44 by Republicans, while of the 146 No votes, 131 were cast by Republicans and 15 by Democrats. The measure, which can be read HERE, was attached to a $680 billion defense authorization bill, described in greater detail HERE, and Barack Obama is a strong supporter. So if it passes muster in the U.S. Senate, it likely will become law.

Here's how the eight LDS lawmakers who have full voting rights in the U.S. House voted:

-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ): No
-- Wally Herger (R-CA): No
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA): Yes
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID): No
-- Dean Heller (R-NV): Yes
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT): No
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): No
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT): Yes
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa): Did not vote.

To no one's surprise, Rep. Matheson lined up with his fellow Democrats and voted for H.R. 2647. But two Republicans, Howard McKeon and Dean Heller, also voted for H.R. 2647. Democrats deliberately embedded the hate crimes provision inside a defense authorization bill to facilitate passage, knowing that many House members would find it awkward to be placed in a position of voting against defense. Dean Heller has not yet explained his vote, but on his official website, Rep. McKeon explained why he reluctantly voted in favor of the bill. McKeon opposes hate crimes laws, but thought the defense authorizations were far more important:

“As Members of Congress we owe our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines the very best available equipment, training and support. The bulk of this bill reflects that commitment. However, it’s unfortunate that the final legislation included a divisive hate crimes provision that generated a largely partisan final vote. Our troops—and all Members of Congress—deserve better. We are all committed to America’s military personnel and their families, and the Democrat leadership should be ashamed that they used our troops as the lever to pass a highly controversial provision.”

Hate crimes laws divide and polarize society by creating separate "protected classes". They also implicitly violate double jeopardy laws because proponents believe a hate crime is not merely a crime against an individual, but also against an entire protected class. This type of thinking has Marxist overtones. Rev. Ted Pike discusses the dangers of hate crimes laws in greater detail HERE.

Mormons In The 111th Congress: Where LDS Lawmakers Stand On Immigration

The latest effort at immigration reform promoted by Utah U.S. Senator Bob Bennett triggered my interest on where members of Congress who are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stand on immigration issues, since Senator Bennett himself is LDS.

In case you are not familiar, Senator Bennett has introduced a bill entitled the "Fairness In Representation Act", which would require the U.S. Census Bureau to collect information on the citizenship status of respondents. The primary purpose of the bill is to prevent illegal immigrants from inflating a state's population totals to the point to where they would get additional U.S. House seats as a result. That's only fair, since the Census Bureau won't count American LDS missionaries deployed abroad, a decision which screwed Utah out of a fourth U.S. House seat in 2000. It's uncertain whether it could be passed and implemented in time for the 2010 census, but could be applied in all future census determinations. The bill is currently co-sponsored by Sens. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Jim Bunning (R-KY); Crapo is also LDS.

If you want your Senators to co-sponsor this bill, you'll find contact information for U.S. Senators available HERE.

NumbersUSA has been tracking and grading U.S. lawmakers over a period of many years. Their standards and ratings are consistent and can be considered reliable. To view the grades assigned to all lawmakers, click HERE, then click on the name of the lawmaker of interest. The grades of LDS lawmakers are posted below. Click on the lawmaker's name to go to the official Congressional website, and on the grades to go to the raw data, which is current as of September 18th, 2009:

(1). U.S. Senate:
-- Michael Crapo (R-ID): Career grade A-, Recent grade A
-- Harry Reid (D-NV): Career grade C-, Recent grade F-
-- Tom Udall (D-NM): Career grade D, Recent grade D-
-- Bob Bennett (R-UT): Career grade C-, Recent grade C-
-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT): Career grade C+, Recent grade B

(2). U.S. House:
-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ): Career grade C, Recent grade C
-- Wally Herger (R-CA): Career grade A, Recent grade B+
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA): Career grade A, Recent grade A
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID): Career grade B, Recent grade B
-- Dean Heller (R-NV): Career grade A, Recent grade A
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT): Career grade B, Recent grade B
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): Career grade A+, Recent grade A+
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT): Career grade C+, Recent grade B+
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa): Not listed, because he doesn't cast votes on bills

Most LDS lawmakers are fairly strong on immigration issues. The variability tends to reflect party differences; the LDS Church, despite its belief in the 12th Article of Faith, which states, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law", maintains a benign neutrality on immigration issues, pursuing a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" attitude, particularly when it comes to calling elders for missionary service.

Why LDS Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz Sleeps On A Cot In His Office In Washington D.C.

In 2008, upstart Jason Chaffetz did what no other candidate for Utah's Third Congressional District seat could do - take down incumbent Chris Cannon in a Republican primary. Constituents were wowed by his articulate, positive, and energetic approach. In addition, Utah's Third District is one of the "reddest" in the nation, and Rep. Chaffetz is an unapologetic and unreconstructed conservative.

But he's also one of the most accessible members of Congress. He answers his own phone much of the time. And Max Roth, a reporter for KSTU Channel 13 in Salt Lake, dropped by Chaffetz' office recently to find out more about this man who actually sleeps in his office to save $1,500 per month. He showers at the Congressional gym in the basement, paying $240 per year for that privilege. Here's KSTU's video report:

 

Rep. Chaffetz is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He began investigating the Church while in high school, but was not baptized until his senior year at Brigham Young University, where he played football and converted 89 of 94 point-after attempts and hit 16 of 25 field goals from 1988-89. He is now one of 14 LDS members in Congress; his official U.S. House website is HERE, and his campaign website is HERE. You can read a more complete profile on his life in this Provo Daily Herald article dated June 14th, 2008.

How LDS Members Of The U.S. House Of Representatives Voted On H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009 (Cap-And-Trade)

One additional function I will take on is to track and report how LDS members of Congress vote on high-profile issues. It's not really rocket science, since most LDS members of Congress are Republican, and tend to vote the party line. Even Democrat Jim Matheson occasionally crosses over and votes the Republican way.

And on June 25th, 2009, H.R. 2454, entitled "The American Clean Energy And Security Act of 2009", came up for a vote. You can read a summary of its provisions HERE. After some last minute arm-twisting by Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama, the bill passed 219-212.

The results of the roll call vote are published HERE. Here's how LDS members of the House voted:

-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ): Abstained
-- Wally Herger (R-CA): No
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA): No
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID): No
-- Dean Heller (R-NV): No
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT): No
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): No
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT): No
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa): Not entitled to vote

Rep. Flake was one of only three House members to abstain, so if all had voted No, it would not have changed the final outcome. Rep. Flake had a family obligation precluding his presence for the vote, but confirms he would have voted against it.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act calls for the U.S. to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. It would establish a limited number of pollution permits, more than 70 percent of which would initially be given away free to utilities, manufacturers, state governments and others, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The permits could then be traded or sold. But this cap-and-trade idea is considered a scam by many, because of the possibility that speculators could inflate and drain a "bubble" just like they did with the dot-com bubble and the housing bubble.

House Democratic leaders say the bill would create 1.7 million new jobs and save 240 million barrels of oil by 2020. It would require in most cases that states get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind and the sun by then.

But instead of celebrating their victory, the Sierra Club reacted in a very spiteful fashion. “This should be a huge wake-up call,” Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope said in an interview. “We should not have had to have a bill this weak to pass by this narrow a margin.” Perhaps they should learn some magnaminity.

But opponents remained critical. Republicans and many business groups, including American Farm Bureau, sought to drum up opposition to the bill by saying it would impose a “national energy tax” that would eliminate jobs, not create them. “This is the biggest job-killing bill that has ever been on the floor of the House of Representatives,” said Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio, who spoke against the measure for about an hour. He said the U.S. should increase drilling of oil and gas while working to create alternative sources of energy.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett described the bill as “hugely flawed” before the vote. A tax on carbon dioxide would be more straightforward than the bill’s so-called cap-and-trade plan, which seeks to “hide the ball” and targets production instead of consumption, Hackett said. The legislation would lead to higher energy prices, he said.

The next stop for this legislation is the U.S. Senate, where it will be taken up this fall and where it is expected to be watered down further to facilitate the possibility of passage. It would not likely pass in the Senate in its present form.

How Latter-Day Saints (LDS) In Congress Voted On Barack Obama's $787 Billion Stimulus Package, The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Of 2009

Barack Obama's highly-ballyhooed $787 billion stimulus package, known officially as the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009", has been passed and will be signed by President Obama on Tuesday February 17th, 2009. Also visit the ReadTheStimulus website for more information on the bill's particulars.

The House voted 246-183 in favor of the package, with one voting Present and three others not voting. A total of 246 Democrats voted Yes, while all 176 Republicans, joined by seven crossover Demorats, voted No. Afterwards, the Senate voted 60-38 to pass it, with one Senator (Ted Kennedy) not present, and Minnesota's seat still unfilled. Three Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both of Maine, and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, crossed over to join with the Democrats.

Click HERE to find out how all House members voted.

Click HERE to find out how all Senate members voted.

Because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a legacy of self-reliance, and promotes it to this day through their welfare program, which is actually a workfare program offering a hand up rather than a handout, I though it would be of interest to highlight how LDS members of Congress voted on this bill. And here is the list of LDS members of Congress (10 Republicans, 3 Democrats, 1 non-specified). Click on their names to go directly to their official Congressional websites. Their votes are listed to the right of their names:

(1). U.S. Senate:
-- Michael Crapo (R-ID): No
-- Harry Reid (D-NV): Yes
-- Tom Udall (D-NM): Yes
-- Bob Bennett (R-UT): No
-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT): No

(2). U.S. House:
-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ): No
-- Wally Herger (R-CA): No
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA): No
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID): No
-- Dean Heller (R-NV): No
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT): No
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): No
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT): Yes
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa): Did not vote

As you can see, it was straight down along party lines, with the Republican Mormons voting No and the Democratic Mormons voting Yes.

Utah's freshman Third District Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz was particularly outspoken in his opposition. Chaffetz told KTVX Channel 4 in Salt Lake, "The process was so flawed. This is a bill that was over 1000 pages it was given to us at midnight. There's not one congressman, not one that read that bill. It was the single largest spending bill in the history of the US, and not one person in that House read it. How can you vote for a bill that you haven't even read? I voted no, nobody even read it. It's sad really because you see people hurting and you know we got to help them. But, instead of helping everybody through tax relief this thing is loaded with pork that's not going to make a difference. We need a game changer in this country”. Chaffetz says we cannot spend our way to economic salvation.

However, fellow Utah Congressman Jim Matheson, a Democrat representing the Second District, explained his support of the bill to the Deseret News. "Everyone agrees our economy faces a crisis and that action is needed to pump up the economy. Utah stands to gain 30,000 jobs from the projects that will be funded and families will see more money in their paychecks every week. Doing nothing would be to risk a deep and prolonged downward spiral for Utah communities. And while this bill isn't perfect, I support its main goals", said Matheson.

The LDS Church has not taken a position on the stimulus package.

Pew Forum Study Shows 14 Latter-Day Saints, Mostly Republican, In The New 111th Congress

Note: This post retained solely for historical purposes. It's now superseded by a similar list for the 112th Congress, which shows 15 LDS members in Congress.

The Salt Lake Tribune's Out Of Context blog informs us that the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life released a breakdown of the faiths and denominations of the members of the incoming 111th Congress last week, and that the percentage of Mormons in the new Congress is still slightly greater than the percentage in overall society, although the number of Mormons dropped slightly.

Latter-day Saints now comprise 2.6 percent of the body vs. 1.7 percent of the American public. LDS members make up 5 percent of the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). But the number of Mormons has been dwindling, from 17 in the 106th Congress down to 14 today (this also includes Eni Faleomavaega, the non-voting delegate from American Samoa). The Pew report is available HERE; the 15-page appendix listing all individual members of Congress is HERE.

And here is the list of LDS members of Congress (10 Republicans, 3 Democrats, 1 non-specified). Click on their names to go directly to their official Congressional websites:

(1). U.S. Senate:
-- Michael Crapo (R-ID)
-- Harry Reid (D-NV)
-- Tom Udall (D-NM)
-- Bob Bennett (R-UT)
-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

(2). U.S. House:
-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
-- Wally Herger (R-CA)
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA)
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID)
-- Dean Heller (R-NV)
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT)
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa)

While researching this information, I found out that the Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized LDS) is also represented in Congress in the person of Leonard Boswell (D-IA). Though having just a fraction of the Utah-based LDS membership, the Community of Christ is fairly strong in Missouri, southern Iowa, and Illinois, so it's no surprise that a CoC member would be elected from any of those areas.