Home > News

Rep. McDermott Receives Perfect Score From Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
February 28, 2008
For Immediate Release

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the nation's oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition, informed Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) by letter that he received a perfect 100% score for the first session of the 110th Congress (2007).

According to their letter, the organization rated Rep. McDermott (and other Members) according to "Congressional support for, or opposition to, bills containing important civil rights protections; hate crimes and immigration legislation; judicial nominees hostile to civil rights; and other issues." The legislation on which the score was based included: Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), Fair Minimum Wage Act, CHAMP (Children's Health Care), Consumer Protections for High Cost Mortgages, Head Start, and the Employee Free Choice Act, among others. The complete report can be read online at: http://www.civilrights.org/research_center/voting_scorecards/110.pdf.

"One of the most important jobs I have in representing the people of the 7th Congressional District in the House of Representatives is doing everything I can to protect civil rights, human rights, civil liberties, and to fight relentlessly against hate crimes," Rep. McDermott said. "This rating truly reflects the conscience the people I serve and I am proud to have received a perfect score of 100%."

Earlier in January, the organization had informed Rep. McDermott that he had received an excellent 90% score, but subsequently discovered a mistake in a roll call vote that, once corrected, produced the perfect 100% for Rep. McDermott.