CQ Voting Studies are an annual analysis of a member's support or opposition to a given position. Interest Group Ratings are based on rankings from groups chosen to represent liberal, conservative, business and labor viewpoints.Voting Participation scores are based on the number of times a member voted "yea" or "nay" on roll call votes (not including quorum calls in the House). CQ Vote Studies Year Presidential Support Party Unity   S* O* S O 1998 79% 18% 93% 3% 1997 76 19 94 2 1996 78 20 94 4 1995 83 11 93 2 1994 71 28 94 2 1993 68 27 95 2 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 94 1997 96 1996 98 1995 94 1994 96 1993 95	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 95% n/a 33% 8 % 1997 95 100 20 4 1996 100 100 6 0 1995 100 100 8 13 1994 100 100 17 0 1993 95 100 0 0
Note on Interest Groups: ADA=Americans for Democratic Action; AFL-CIO=American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations; CCUS=Chamber of Commerce of the United States; ACU=American Conservative Union

NEW YORK 12 : Lower East Side of Manhattan; parts of Brooklyn and Queens

The 12th was created in 1992 to form a Hispanic-majority district under the auspices of the Voting Rights Act. The district quickly came under scrutiny because its odd shape - many called it the Bullwinkle District because of its resemblance to the cartoon moose - suggesting it had been drawn unconstitutionally, with race as the predominant factor.

After a protracted battle, the state legislature redrew the district, making it more compact. The new configuration had a minimal effect on neighboring districts but did change the 12th's racial makeup slightly. The Hispanic population dropped from 58 percent to 49 percent, more than doubling the non-Hispanic white population. The new 12th District kept two areas with large Asian and Hispanic populations - lower Manhattan, including Chinatown, and Sunset Park in Brooklyn. It also received the heavily Hispanic Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg.

The redrawn 12th covers working-class and poor neighborhoods with industrial areas near Sunset Park, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Greenpoint and East New York. The district's blue-collar and minority composition makes it firmly Democratic. Even with a significant immigrant population that is disqualified from voting and low turnout among Hispanic voters, the 12th elected and continues to send a Puerto Rican representative to Congress. It's unlikely that the new boundaries will pose much of an electoral challenge to Rep. Velázquez.

Major Industry
Health care, manufacturing, service

Population
580,337 (1990)

Cities
New York (pt.), 580,337 (1990)

People
100% urban; 10% age 65+ (ranks 28 of 31 in state; bottom third nationally); 38% married couples, 21% married couples with children; 12% college educated (ranks 30 of 31 in state; bottom third nationally); 53% white collar (ranks 28 of 31 in state; bottom third nationally), 31% blue collar (ranks first of 31 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Race
Non-Hispanic: 26% white, 12% black, 14% Asian; 49% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$20,782 (ranks 29 of 31 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Lower East Side Tenement Museum; Chinatown.

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