Congressman Fitzpatrick Begins Third Term By Outlining Reform Proposals

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick began his third term this week.

The congressman, a resident of Middletown Township and a Republican, issued a statement Sunday evening outlining legislation he will introduce to reform Congress and make changes to the election process.

Fitzpatrick, who is part of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, said he believes the legislation will “transcend political parties and strike at the heart of what our country needs: a rebirth of belief in our leaders and our institutions.”

“Our country faces so many challenges, but I am confident that if my colleagues work together with me to adopt these critical reforms, we can restore faith and confidence in our institutions, which is severely lacking right now,” he said.

The legislation released by the congressman’s office outlined four bills and three constitutional amendments.

The office outlined the proposals:

Term Limits for Members of Congress (Constitutional amdt.)

Limits congressional terms to twelve years combined in both chambers, six two-year terms in the House or two six-year terms in the Senate.

No Budget, No Pay (Constitutional amdt.)

Prevents members of Congress from being paid if Congress fails to pass a budget or allows a lapse in appropriations. Goes further than previous iterations of No Budget, No Pay by docking pay for time without a budget as opposed to simply putting member salaries in escrow until the end of the term. This measure requires complete forfeiture.

Balanced Budget Amendment (Constitutional amdt.)

• Requires Congress to adopt a budget that balances like most states, including Pennsylvania, and municipalities.

Clean Congress Act (H.R.)

• Requires Congress to act on single-issue legislation
• Codifies that all laws passed by Congress must apply to its members

Clean Public Service Act (H.R.)

• Ends Congressional pensions

Clean Elections Act (H.R.)

• Reforms the broken “Gerrymandering” process by moving all redistricting to independent, non-partisan commissions
• Allows access to political party primaries for Independents or non-affiliated voters

Restoring Faith in Elections Act (H.R.)

Establishes uniform standards for absentee voting in federal elections and promotes timely reporting of election results, including:

• Mail-in ballots must be returned and received by the time polls close on Election Day
• Mandatory signature match
• Mail-in ballots received prior to the date of the election shall be counted beginning at least one week prior to the date of the election.
• Voter ID – Every voter must show a photo ID to vote and states shall provide each registered voter an ID free of charge if the voter faces financial challenges.
• National deconfliction database – Assist states in ensuring that individual voters are registered only in the one State in which they are domiciled, deceased voters are purged from voting rolls, and only citizens of the United States vote.
• Parity for in-person and mail-in voting –  Signature match and verification, prepaid costs, subsidies for methods of voting
• Standard procedures across all counties/jurisdictions in States  –  Standardized and uniform for all jurisdictions in a State including for curing defective ballots

Fitzpatrick, a former FBI special agent, has long called for term limits for members of Congress. In October during his successful re-election campaign, the congressman declined to announce how many terms he would serve because he felt it would be “self-defeating” and allow opponents to the plan to wait him out.

The congressman has called for a balanced budget requirement for years and reforms for redistricting.

The congressman’s proposals for elections are likely to be controversial. Voter ID attempts have previously failed in Pennsylvania and signature matches have been the subject of debate.

In his statement, Fitzpatrick said the “reform package is not political and should not be controversial.”

The congressman’s ambitious legislative outline was released on the day that an audio tape from Saturday of President Donald Trump asking Georgia election officials to “find”  11,780 votes to overturn the results of the November election became public. Trump lost that election in Georgia to former Vice President Joe Biden by more than 11,000 votes and ended up losing nationally to Biden, whose victory has been certified by the electoral college and is slated to be confirmed by federal lawmakers this week.

Fitzpatrick is the only GOP congressman from Pennsylvania not planning to formally oppose Biden’s victory on Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

Fitzpatrick, who was endorsed by Trump leading up to the November election, has not responded to LevittownNow.com‘s requests for comment on the election and on attempts to undermine the outcome.

The congressman did note in a December question and answer with law firm Ballard Spahr, where he previously worked, that he met Biden through the Beau Biden Foundation. Fitzpatrick noted that he worked with the late Beau Biden, the president-elect’s son, when they both were at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Philadelphia.

“[Biden] was very generous and kind, and wrote a very thoughtful note when my brother passed away. So, I can tell you that he’s a very kind person,” he said.

Editor’s Note: Ballard Spahr recently represented LevittownNow.com in a matter relating to ongoing investigative journalism. The law firm has no editorial influence over news articles published.

See also:

Congressman Fitzpatrick Projected Winner Against Challenger Finello

RECAP: Congressman Fitzpatrick, Candidate Finello Face Off In First Debate

Congressman Fitzpatrick Votes For Resolution Denouncing QAnon Conspiracy Theory

Fitzpatrick Drafting Legislation To Increase Pay For Pennsylvania Families

Congressman Fitzpatrick Votes To Condemn President’s Controversial Tweets