Congress Has a New Ratings Guide….Put Out by Poker Community
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today announced the creation of the PPA Congressional Ratings Guide, available to PPA members at www.congressionalpoker.org.
The guide provides ratings for each member of Congress based on their record of supporting poker rights.
"As PPA continues its efforts to educate members of Congress about poker as a game of skill, it is important that PPA members know how their member of Congress stands on the issue of protecting their rights to play poker online," said Former Senator Alfonse D'Amato, chairman of the PPA. "The PPA Congressional Ratings Guide will make such information easily available as well as provide PPA members an easy way to contact their Congressional representatives and underscore their support for this great American pastime."
In the 2008 guide, 164 members of Congress earned a grade of B or higher, indicating their strong support for an individual's right to play poker at the time and place of their choosing - whether in a casino or in front of their home computer. Unfortunately, almost half of the members of Congress, 258, scored a "D" or an "F" - failing in their support of poker. The remainder of members of Congress were not graded given a lack of data on their position.
In most cases, grades in the PPA Congressional Ratings Guide are based on co-sponsorship of bills, Congressional letters of support, public statements and private meetings with the PPA and our members versus actual votes on the floor of the House or Senate. For example, there has been very little action in the U.S. Senate on poker and therefore many Senators have not staked a position. In the U.S. House, there have been two votes in the Financial Services Committee, but the full House has not voted on any of the pro-poker bills introduced.
The PPA Congressional Rating Guide will be updated periodically and is searchable by state and by zip code. As an additional benefit, PPA members can automatically send an email to their member of Congress directly from the guide to voice their support for poker and those who protect their right to play this game of skill.
