ICYMI: Absent Abraham’s Excuse for Skipping His Job: Jindal Did It Too 

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In case you missed it, the Associated Press put out a new article highlighting how Rep. Ralph Abraham has shirked his job responsibilities in order to campaign for governor. His defense? Bobby Jindal did it too.
Abraham has cast fewer votes than nearly all of his colleagues to serve his own personal ambition. This news comes after Abraham’s campaign was caught stealing a Dodge campaign commercial and slapping their campaign logo on it.
Read more about Abraham’s refusal to show up for his job:
AP: Running for governor, Louisiana’s Abraham misses House votes
As he travels Louisiana seeking support for his gubernatorial bid, Republican U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham is spending less time in Washington and casting fewer votes than nearly all of his colleagues.
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The same GovTrack data, however, shows that Abraham has missed nearly 200 votes in Congress since he started running for governor in December, decisions on bills dealing with immigration, flood insurance and spending plans, among others.
Abraham has skipped 196 of 509 roll call votes — nearly 39% — in the House from the November/December voting period through Wednesday, according to the data, giving him one of the worst attendance records among current House members.
And the absence rate is growing as the Oct. 12 election for governor nears.
Abraham, a doctor from rural Richland Parish, is one of two GOP contenders trying to keep Democratic incumbent John Bel Edwards from election to a second term. Also in the race is Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone.
Rather than casting votes this week, Abraham spoke to farmers Wednesday in Crowley, met with supporters Thursday in New Orleans and planned to attend a Thursday evening fundraiser in Monroe.
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Supporters of Edwards are slamming the Republican congressman’s skipped votes. They say he’s not earning the $174,000 salary he receives to represent the 5th Congressional District, which stretches across 24 parishes in northeast and central Louisiana, and is abandoning his constituents for personal ambition.
“If Rep. Abraham won’t even show up for major votes in Congress, Louisianans can’t trust him to show up for them as governor,” Edwards campaign spokesman Eric Holl said in a statement.
Abraham was absent for this week’s debate between the U.S. House and Senate over a multibillion-dollar border aid package and care requirements for detained migrant families and children. He wasn’t on hand to vote for the renewal of the National Flood Insurance Program, which Louisiana’s congressional delegation has called critical to the state’s families, particularly in hurricane season.
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“My vote, in that particular instance, we knew would have no effect” on the outcome, Abraham said.
Edwards supporters compare Abraham to unpopular Republican former Gov. Bobby Jindal, who was criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike for his frequent travel outside of Louisiana during his second term when he unsuccessfully ran for president.
The Louisiana Democratic Party created a website called “Where’s Ralph?” that lists individual votes Abraham’s failed to attend, and a pro-Edwards PAC has run social media ads panning the GOP congressman for the missed flood insurance vote.
Abraham’s campaign pointed to former congressmen, including Jindal, Buddy Roemer and Billy Tauzin, who missed larger percentages of congressional votes when they ran for governor.
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