Members of Congress make six-figures. The least they can do is show up.
But now a Democrat in Congress went AWOL and someone needs to answer for it.
Swalwell Tops Congress in Skipped Votes Amid Growing Scandals
California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, now running for governor, has missed more House votes than any other active member of Congress in 2025, racking up absences while facing a federal probe into alleged mortgage and tax fraud.
According to voting records analyzed by the New York Post and sourced from nonpartisan GovTrack, Swalwell has skipped 95 of the 342 roll call votes this year—not counting committee hearings—far outpacing his colleagues.
Even former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an 85-year-old recovering from hip replacement surgery after a serious fall in late 2024, has shown up more often, missing only 46 votes despite a recovery period that typically spans six months.
Swalwell declined to comment when reached by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Federal Investigation Hits as Campaign Launches
Swalwell’s absenteeism has drawn fresh scrutiny amid a federal investigation launched after Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte accused the congressman of making false statements on loan documents for a Washington, D.C., home.
The probe, first reported by NBC on November 12, quickly expanded to include potential mortgage fraud allegations.
Rather than addressing the claims head-on, Swalwell dismissed the inquiry as political retaliation from President Donald Trump.
“Like James Comey and John Bolton, Adam Schiff and Lisa Cook, Letitia James and the dozens more to come – I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world,” Swalwell told the DCNF, while vowing to continue his lawsuit against the president.
Campaign Over Duty: No Votes Since Governor Announcement
Just one week after the fraud allegations surfaced, Swalwell announced his California gubernatorial bid on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on November 21, styling himself as the state’s defender against Trump.
Since that announcement, Swalwell has not cast a single House vote, according to the Sacramento Bee and GovTrack data. He has missed 50 of 61 roll calls (82%) from September 19 through this week, with his last vote recorded on November 18.
Over his entire congressional career, Swalwell has skipped more than 550 of 7,253 votes—a 7.7% absence rate that dwarfs the average House member’s 2.1%.
Critics point to the pattern as evidence that Swalwell is prioritizing personal political ambition over his current responsibilities to constituents and the nation.
