Altmire's streak

Fox News has a nice story on Jason Altmire's streak of 4,024 straight votes since joining Congress in January 2007. It's the longest current streak, but has a long way to go before catching Dale Kildee's 8,141 1985-2000 or William Natcher's 18,401 from 1954-1994:

Altmire says his streak was in jeopardy when he traveled to Haiti with then-Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) to help rescue constituents who were stuck there. They flew from Haiti to Orlando, FL and then to Pittsburgh. And Altmire was due for votes in Washington.

"That was the closest call," Altmire says.

But Altmire says the lack of proximity to Washington isn't the biggest contributor to missed votes. When the House faces a lengthy sequence of anywhere from ten to 20 votes, the chair shrinks the standard voting time from 15 to five minutes --- and then slices it to two. Lawmakers are stuck in the chamber and sometimes lose track of what's going on.

"One of the easiest ways to miss (a vote) is to be sitting right there during two minute votes," Altmire said. "Next thing you know, they're bringing the gavel down."