Republican Michael G. Fitzpatrick
is currently serving as the representative of the Pennsylvania 8th
District. This district comprises all of
Bucks County, where Fitzpatrick was born and raised, attended high school, and
has served throughout his political career, as well as parts of Montgomery
County. Prior to his current
appointment, he also served the district after winning the 2004 election. However, he was succeeded by Patrick Murphy
after an exceptionally close race and failed to regain the 8th
Disctrict’s seat until the 2010 elections.
He ran for and won re-election in 2012.
As mentioned, Mike Fitzpatrick was born in Bucks County on June 28, 1963
and attended Bishop Egan High School in Fairless Hills. He then attended St. Thomas University in
Florida, where he received academic honors and received his Bachelor’s Degree
in 1985. From there, he earned his law
degree at Penn State University, before being admitted to the practice of law
in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Before entering the world of Congress, Mike Fitzpatrick served on the
Bucks County Board of Commissioners from 1995 to 2005. During this time, his greatest achievements
were in job creation (his contributions to the “Enterprise Zone” project helped
lead to the creation of over 4,000 jobs in Bucks County) and the preservation
of farm and parkland. His efforts in this area earned him recognition from numerous
environmental organizations, such as the Green Alliance.[1]
In his time serving as a representative, Mike Fitzpatrick has been a
loyal Republican, voting with his party 85% of the time.[2] This is of note because Philadelphia and its
surrounding areas are typically considered to be Democratic havens in a state
dominated by Republican districts.[3] Nonetheless, Fitzpatrick has enjoyed strong
support in his home district, allowing him to spend much of his time in
Washington, a fact evident in his 1.2% absentee rate (he has missed only 38 out
of 3,261 roll calls in his political career as a Congressman), a number lower
than the 2.2% median.[4]
Mike Fitzpatrick currently sits on the
“House Committee on Financial Services,” as well as the subcommittees on
“Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit” and “Oversight and
Investigations.” As mentioned, his
voting pattern predominantly follows that of his party. Specifically, Fitzpatrick has taken strong
stances on key issues, which are reflected in his voting history. He has consistently voted in favor of
strengthening our national borders against illegal immigration.[5] He has also expressed a desire to cut
government spending, especially at the national defense level, as a means of
balancing the budget, rather than increasing taxes.[6] This is reflected on his stance on several
issues. One is the U.S. involvement in
Afghanistan, regarding which he states: “[Our soldiers] believe additional
resources are required to make the difference that they believe can be achieved
[in Afghanistan]. If it is not going to be forthcoming from NATO or the United
States, they’ve done everything they can. It’s time to begin bringing them home
in a safe and organized manner rather than leave them in a place with
insufficient resources until 2014.”[7] As one might infer, he is not in favor of
taking military actions against Syria, and spreading our resources even
thinner, stating that “the case for military involvement has not been made
to me, my constituents, or the American people.”[8] At home, in addition to going great lengths
to help preserve and support the natural beauty of Bucks County, Fitzpatrick
has also ensured the social well-being of his constituents, protecting them
from efforts to scale back Medicaid as well as securing the establishment of
the National Veterans Cemetery in Bucks County.[9]
Mike Fitzpatrick is a hard working representative that has gone to great
lengths to not only represent his constituents at home, but also have an impact
on national issues in Washington. As a
result, he has enjoyed strong support in his home district and maintains a very
active position on Capitol Hill as well.
Through his voting record, he supports both his party and the views of
his constituents. This is perhaps his
strongest quality: Mike Fitzpatrick clearly has an understanding of how to play
the game of the “Two Congresses” and effectively juggle his time and effort
between each.
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