The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the nation, today released its “2024 General Election Congressional Scorecard” and “2024 Sample Questions for Candidates and Government Officials” to educate American Muslim voters and allies about how their members of Congress voted on key legislation and provide sample questions to ask candidates running for office to better to understand their stance on issues important to our community.
READ: 2024 Congressional Scorecard
READ: 2024 Sample Questions for Candidates
In a statement, CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw said:
“In this crucial election year, the Muslim community faces significant challenges, including incidents of violence, discrimination, and elected officials using their offices to either uplift or silence our voices. That is why Muslim voters must exercise our right to vote responsibly and with awareness of how our leaders in Congress have carried out their duties.
“CAIR is releasing these new election resources to assist American Muslim voters in better understanding the issues and candidates they are voting for in their state’s primaries and the November general election. CAIR’s congressional scorecards and sample questions for candidates running for office are designed to initiate conversations, not promote voting preferences. Muslim voters will independently arrive at their informed candidate choices; we are simply encouraging them to engage in the democratic process and vote.”
CAIR’s Congressional Scorecard tracks congressional votes and co-sponsorship of key bills, including:
H.R.6126/S.168 Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act; H.R 7921/ S.4091 Countering Antisemitism Act; H. Res. 246 Commencement of Ramadan; H. Res. 989/ S. Res. 534 Recognition of January as “Muslim Heritage Month”; H. Res. 786 Ceasefire Now Resolution; H.R 2985/ S. 1916 Combating International Islamophobia Act; H.Res. 556 Recognizing the Commencement of Eid and many more.
The votes of every elected member of Congress have been rated positively or negatively depending on how closely their votes on relevant legislation corresponded with civil rights and social justice priorities identified by CAIR. The criteria selected for each topic are rooted in legislation introduced and voted upon in the 118th U.S. Congress (2023-2024).
CAIR notes that the amount of legislation introduced in Congress is rather expansive – elected officials highlighted in this scorecard should not be judged by these criteria alone. Rather, this scorecard is intended to provide a general profile that CAIR hopes will assist all voters, including American Muslim voters, in better understanding the attitudes of elected officials towards these key issues.
CAIR’s Sample Questions for Candidates and Government Officials aims to assist Muslim community members and allies in questioning and understanding the views and positions of incumbents, new candidates running for office, and government officials already in service.
Questions included in this community resource cover a wide range of issues related to the freedom of religion, the economy, education, immigration, community safety, the right to vote, and the right to boycott. This questionnaire also features a special section addressing the Israeli government’s war in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinians in the West Bank, along with the response of the U.S. government.
These questions can be asked during community town halls, public forums, public or private meetings, or submitted for written response. These questions are drawn from the advocacy and legal work of CAIR and its network of chapters that serve the needs of American Muslims nationwide.
*Note About the CAIR’s Congressional Scorecard and Other Election Empowerment Activities: As a nonpartisan organization, CAIR can encourage American Muslims to participate in national and state elections, conduct voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, provide training programs, issue briefings, organize candidate forums, volunteer in campaigns, and lead get-out-the-vote drives. CAIR makes no claims as to the favorability of one candidate being elected over another. Therefore, CAIR encourages readers of this scorecard to further research the actions of their local representatives before supporting any candidate. Nonprofits cannot engage in political activities that support one candidate or party over another, but we are committed to making our community’s voice and vote heard.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com