House absences rack up amid Super Tuesday primaries

A large number of House members were conspicuously absent from votes amid Super Tuesday primaries in their states.

A total of 52 lawmakers skipped the day’s two House roll-call votes to name post offices. More than half hail from states with contests at stake on Tuesday, including their own primary races for reelection.

{mosads}Twenty-two members of the Texas delegation were among those missing in action, including several Republicans who face primary challenges, like House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, Republican Study Committee Chairman Bill Flores and House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions.

Alabama Republican Reps. Bradley Byrne and Martha Roby, who both have primary challengers, also didn’t attend Tuesday’s votes either.

GOP leaders kept Tuesday’s House floor schedule relatively light: 11 out of 12 bills slated for consideration were for naming federal buildings.