(Continued from page 19)

percent voting record in committee.
• Who knows which statements are accurate? That's the problem.
• There needs to be a better system of keeping track of congressional participation in discussions and votes. An attendance sheet? Roll call? Anything?
• When Republicans took control of the House in 2010, they planned to bring greater transparency to the chamber in part by posting official attendance of committee meetings. But later, they voted to abandon that idea, on a voice vote without keeping a record of who voted which way.
• By keeping no committee record of attendance, representatives are protected from the public finding out if they don't attend meetings. Lawmakers also have no way to prove that they are working hard and do attend committee meetings and

vote.
• In this case, constituents have to take Noem's word that she's been there or the Democrats word that they don't see evidence that she regularly attended, based on all the records they have searched, including testimony from committees.
• But it also is important to look beyond the political spin.
• Simply put, the people who elect our representatives -- all of us -- ought to be able to find out whether

(Continued on page 21)