[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H70-H71]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL FITZPATRICK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember 
and honor my friend and former colleague, Michael Fitzpatrick. Former 
Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick passed away on January 6 after a 12-year 
battle with cancer.
  He served as chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services' 
Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing. Over a 2-year period, 
the task force investigated the financial mechanisms used to fund 
terrorist activities.
  Mike was a leading voice in Congress on medical device safety, 
pressing the FDA after dangerous medical devices remained in use after 
causing serious injury and death. He was an Eagle

[[Page H71]]

Scout from the Bucks County Council and former president of that 
council and was honored with the Silver Beaver Award for his service to 
scouting.
  Mike retired in 2017 and was consistently ranked among the most 
bipartisan Members of Congress.
  I lift my prayers for Mike's wife, Kathleen; their six children; his 
brother, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick; and the Fitzpatrick family 
during this difficult time.
  Mr. Speaker, it is also appropriate to celebrate the tremendous 
accomplishments and difference Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick made in a 
relatively short life.
  Well done, my friend. Rest in God's loving arms.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Thompson) for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise to honor the life and the accomplishments 
of Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick. He was a great and trusted colleague. 
More importantly, he was a good friend, and he was my friend.
  He didn't seek the spotlight; he just sought to do the right thing.
  He was all about representing his district. Representing his district 
put him at odds, oftentimes, with popular sentiment around here, but 
Mike wasn't bothered by any of that. He was true to his convictions; he 
was true to his family; and he was true to his friends.
  Guys like Mike Fitzpatrick who come here, serve, and stay focused on 
what is important and stay true are hard to find and even harder to 
replace.

  We wish God's blessing on Mike Fitzpatrick and his entire family. We 
pray the Lord will fill the intolerable emptiness of his passing.
  I would just like to say: We miss you, Mike Fitzpatrick, and 
Godspeed.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).
  Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I as well rise today to pay tribute to our 
friend, the Honorable Michael G. Fitzpatrick, a longtime Republican who 
served as a Bucks County, Pennsylvania, commissioner and served as a 
Member of the United States House of Representatives, who, sadly, 
passed away Monday, January 6.
  Mike was the oldest son of eight children, born on June 28, 1963, in 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up and resided in Bucks County. 
Mike was an Eagle Scout, an Eagles fan, and a graduate of Dickinson Law 
School.
  Those who knew Mike said the same thing: He worked hard every day to 
make his constituents' lives better.
  First elected to Congress in 2004, he served four terms and then 
stepped down, honoring his self-imposed pledge to term limits. Mike's 
brother, Brian Fitzpatrick, succeeded his older brother and continues 
to serve their home district honorably. Brian is a great Member and a 
friend to us all.
  Mike was described by a friend as a classic Bucks County Irishman and 
a man whose family always came first.
  Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and the entire Fitzpatrick family 
appreciate our prayers. Mike is survived by, in addition to his brother 
Brian, his six other brothers and sisters; his parents, James and Mary; 
a grandson; a granddaughter; his wife of 31 years, Kathleen; and their 
six children.
  I thank you for your work to make Pennsylvania and our country a 
better place, Congressman Fitzpatrick.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
life and the legacy of former Pennsylvania Congressman Mike 
Fitzpatrick.
  Mike was a dedicated public servant who proudly represented the 
people of Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District, showcasing 
incredible courage not only in Congress but throughout his life.
  This week, former Congressman Fitzpatrick passed away after a valiant 
battle with metastatic melanoma. As a dermatologist, I have witnessed 
this disease claim many lives and devastate too many families. Here in 
Congress, it is my privilege to serve as co-chair of the Skin Cancer 
Caucus, and I remain dedicated to promoting innovative treatments and 
cures for melanoma.
  On behalf of the 13th District of Pennsylvania, I am grateful to 
Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick for his longstanding service to our 
Commonwealth and to our entire Nation.
  As we honor him today, I extend my sincere sympathies to the entire 
Fitzpatrick family, including my friend, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, 
upon the loss of a great leader from Pennsylvania and a great leader in 
our Nation.

                          ____________________