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Mike Fitzpatrick is one of the "most independent" members of Congress!
Mike has done an amazing job representing all of us .... Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Mike Fitzpatrick has been nationally recognized as one of the most independent-minded Congressman in the nation. The Bucks County Courier Times has publicized this fact, stating the following: "(Fitzpatrick's) voting record may prove his independence. A recent report from National Journal that tracked 111 separate votes on economic issues, social issues and foreign policy gave Fitzpatrick scores of 45.5 liberal and 54.5 conservative. That means he was more liberal than 45.5 percent of the House's 435 members and more conservative than 54.5 percent of members, or pretty much, right in the ideological middle." ( Bucks County Courier Times, 04/24/2006).
Referring to a separate study, the Bucks County Courier Times stated the following: "[A]cording to a report released this week by Congressional Quarterly, a non-partisan Capitol Hill publication that covers Congress, Fitzpatrick has been one of the most independent voters in the House of Representatives this year. CQ tracked the voting records of the House's 435 members on 196 votes since the beginning of the year that it identified as "party unity votes" or votes that had a clear division between Republicans and Democrats. The magazine's analysis found that Fitzpatrick voted with the Republican Party 60 percent of the time, meaning he voted against Republicans 40 percent of the time. Only one Republican, Congressman Christopher Shays, R-Conn., voted against his own party as often as Fitzpatrick. The numbers are consistent with Fitzpatrick's frequent claims that he is an 'independent voice' and votes for the interests of his district, not his party."( Bucks County Courier Times, 07/15/2006)
Congressional Quarterly, a bi-partisan publication, has this to say about Mike Fitzpatrick : "Fitzpatrick, a freshman, is one of the most independent-minded House Republicans. In 2005, his CQ-defined "party unity" score, which measures how often he votes with his party on legislation that divides Republicans and Democrats, was 76 percent - the fifth-lowest among House Republicans. Fitzpatrick also opposed the stated position of President Bush more frequently than all but seven other House Republicans." ( Congressional Quarterly, 05/18/2006).
And Terry Madonna, Director of the Center of Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College, referred to Fitzpatrick as one of the "least conservative Republican Members (of Congress)." ( Bucks County Courier Times, 04/24/2006).
Mike votes with his conscience and with his district, not with his party. This is something that we should all get behind. He has broken with his party and voted with the Democrats on many high profile issues. Mike has stood strong and battled against the Republican Party's attempts to overly encroach on American's civil liberties by voting against numerous provisions of the Patriot Act. Mike has been a staunch defender of the environment and wildlife, and has been recognized by the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Humane Society. Mike has repeatedly blocked the Republican Party's attempts to drill in the pristine Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In fact, Mike delivered a nationally televised speech on the floor of the House of Representatives chastising the Republican Party over their environmental positions. That is leadership.
Unlike his opponent, Mike Fitzpatrick is a Native of Bucks County
Mike Fitzpatrick is one of us. He is a hometown, homegrown Bucks Countian. He was born in Levittown. He was raised in Levittown. He went to school in Levittown. He is married and raising his six children in Levittown. He has always been here, and he will always be here. He has always been one of us, and will always be one of us. Mike Fitzpatrick is here because this is his home. It is the place that he loves.
Pat Murphy, in contrast, is not one of us. He was not born in Bucks County. He was not raised in Bucks County. He never lived in Bucks County until last year. Our 2004 Democratic nominee for Congress, Ginny Schrader, had similar concerns about Murphy's lack of familiarity with Bucks County, stating as follows: "Some Democrats in Washington have decided that all they need to do is throw an Iraq war veteran at voters and the deal is done. They are recruiting candidates that don't necessarily even live in the district in which they are running ... it is a big mistake that will come back to haunt them in the general election. It doesn't sit well with voters that outsiders dictate who the local candidate should be ... (Murphy's) entire candidacy rests on seven months in Iraq ... he needs to live here, he needs to vote ... he needs to get more familiar with important local issues and get some seasoning ... not all lessons can be learned in seven months as an attorney in Iraq." ( Bucks County Courier Times, 04/30/2006)
Mike Fitzpatrick has delivered the money and the jobs to Bucks County
In ten years as a county commissioner, Mike Fitzpatrick has done so much for our beloved Bucks County community. Mike was directly responsible for preserving over 11,000 acres of open space in Bucks County. He upgraded the county's emergency management agency and 911 system. He created the major incident response team. He championed the enterprise zones in lower Bucks County which brought good paying jobs to our area. No county commissioner has done more for Bucks County than Mike Fitzpatrick.
In his first eighteen months in Congress, Mike Fitzpatrick has delivered the money and jobs to Bucks County in a big way. Mike Fitzpatrick has brought us:
• $1.25 million for a state-of-the-art fire training center in Lower Bucks County
• $250,000 grant for the Bristol Borough Police Department which will upgrade the department's crime fighting technology infrastructure
• $425,000 for the Bristol Weed and Seed Program and Neighborhood One Project
• $450,000 to expand the capacity of Street Road by creating additional thru lanes and turning lanes
• $3.5 million to install bus shelters and transit signage, expand parking lots and improve bus access station improvements at Croydon and Levittown Stations In Bucks County
• $3 million for the Neshaminy Creek Flood Mitigation Program in Bucks County
• $50,000 to restore the historic Andalusia property
• $40,000 to restore the historic Delaware Canal
• $2.4 million for transportation enhancements along the Delaware Canal between Yardley and Bristol
• $5.9 million for US Route 13 corridor reconstruction, redevelopment and beautification
• $250,000 grant for Bucks County to distribute to police departments to upgrade the departments crime fighting technology infrastructure
• $1.6 million for Route 313 turning lanes, truck climbing lanes in Doylestown, Plumstead and Hilltown Township
• $750,000 for the September 11 th Garden of Reflection Memorial
• $3.3 million for the Swamp Road Improvement Project
• $300,000 for the Quakertown Rail Investment Study
• $10 million for the Pennsylvania Turnpike- I-95 Interchange Project in Bucks County
• $50,000 to restore the historic Honey Hollow property
• $220,000 for a virtual business incubator at Delaware Valley College
• $750,000 for an array of construction, infrastructure improvement and tourism projects along the 160 mile Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Trail
• $2 million for a two-lane extension of Bristol Road from US 202 to Park Avenue, Chalfont and New Britain
Mike Fitzpatrick puts people above politics
So many Democrats throughout Bucks County are supporting Mike Fitzpatrick because of who he is as a person. He is independent, not partisan. He is humble. He is friendly. He is always ready to provide assistance to whoever needs it, no matter who they are, where they are from, or what their party affiliation is. Mike values people as human beings. This is why people of all different backgrounds and political views call Mike Fitzpatrick their friend. He is a truly independent public servant. He loves his community and he cares about all of us.
Traditional Democratic Endorsements Awarded To Mike Fitzpatrick
• Sierra Club
• League of Conservation Voters
• Defenders of Wildlife
• Humane Society
• Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO
• Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO
• Philadelphia Teamsters Joint Council 53
• Philadelphia Firefighters' Union, IAFF Local 22
• Asbestos Workers Local #14
• Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local #1
• Carpenters Regional Council
• Cement Masons Local #592
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local #98
• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers Local Lodge 19
• Elevator Constructors Local #5
• Laborers Local #332
• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local #542
• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local #835
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council #21
• Plasters Local #8
• Plumbers Local #690
• Roofers and Waterproofers Local #30
• Sprinklerfitters Local #692
• Steamfitters Local #420
• American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 13
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1199 C
• Transportation Workers Union Local #234
• National Association of Air Traffic Controllers
• Airline Pilots Association
