Representative Mike Fitzpatrick once again made a concerted effort to balance both the needs of his constituents at home with his duties to the nation this week. He did this, in part, through something our political system has been sorely lacking as of late: cooperation across party lines. On September 16, Fitzpatrick and Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-5-MO) spoke together at Maple Point Middle School in Langhorne, PA, emphasizing to students the importance of "a civil dialogue between two parties that represent the people of the United States." The representatives then fielded any questions about the political process that students might have. This function was a part of a broader arrangement between Fitzpatrick and Cleaver in which each would get a chance to "walk a mile" in the other's home district. As part of this arrangement, Cleaver visited Fitzpatrick's home district before traveling with him to D.C., while Fitzpatrick will visit Cleaver's district near Kansas City later this year. Both congressmen are members of the Bipartisan group "No Labels", a group whose goal, as Cleaver states, is to learn that “instead of fighting with each other, we must fight for our constituents and the issues we hold most dear.”
The significance of this action is two-fold. Firstly, on a national scale, it shows that Fitzpatrick is willing to compromise and work with others to achieve goals. This will, hopefully for Fitzpatrick, lead to more Democratic support for bills he either introduces himself or simply supports. Secondly, it shows his constituents at home that he is not part of a Congress that was "likely the least productive one in U.S. history", one characterized by grid lock caused by an inability or unwillingness to compromise amongst Congressman. Fitzpatrick, by being a part of No Labels and promoting bipartisanship, removes himself from that group and proves to his constituents that he really isn't a part of the problem.
Fitzpatrick also took the time to video chat with a tenth grade Palisades High School class to discuss current issues such as Syria. He stated that "utilizing readily available technology allowed me to easily connect with
students in my district from my office in the nation’s capital and
discuss important current topics right in their classroom." Interestingly, however, Fitzpatrick is hoping that technology will allow for the opposite to take place: more time spent in home districts and less in Washington.
Fitzpatrick introduced the bill that would do this, called the "Stay in Place, Cut the Waste Act of 2013." This bill, which is part of the No Labels' "Make Government Work!" movement, would cut travel expenses within federal agencies by 50% through the utilization of video conferencing. To put that into perspective, that would "save the government an estimated $50 billion over the next decade." Not only would travel expenses be reduced, but also travel time, allowing representatives to devote even more attention to the needs of their constituents. When one thinks of all the mid-west and beyond Congressmen that are constantly flying back and forth from Washington, a measure such as this is not only more efficient but also more logical. As long as work can still effectively get done in Washington, there is no reason for a bill such as this not to receive popular support.
Mike Fitzpatrick used two local educational platforms to help broaden awareness of more national issues. The first was the need for bipartisanship, accomplished from his open discussion with Representative Cleaver. Secondly, he sought support for his "Cut the Waste" bill, through the use of video chatting technology to connect with a home district high school whilst serving in Washington. As we saw last week, and continue to see now, Fitzpatrick's efforts, whether at home or in Washington, are almost always two-pronged in nature. In both of these cases, he was able to kill two birds with one stone, serving his own district while at the same time advancing his national agenda.
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