[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H72-H73]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL FITZPATRICK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I speak from the 
heart about someone who was not just a colleague but a good friend. We 
heard some of my Republican colleagues, also from Pennsylvania, 
speaking about Mike Fitzpatrick earlier.
  I had the privilege to say that I was Mike's constituent for a few 
years. Under the old, old lines in Pennsylvania, he represented a 
portion of Philadelphia in the far northeast, where I reside. He and I 
became friends when I was a State representative and he was my 
Congressman.
  We quickly realized we had so much in common: similar sort of 
families, both born in Philadelphia, both proud Irish American 
families, both went to Catholic high school--Mike went to Bishop Egan, 
now Conwell-Egan; I went to Cardinal Dougherty. So it was not exactly 
difficult for the two of us to get along and to work so well together, 
especially when I would become a Member of Congress and he immediately 
reached out to me and helped in any way he could.
  As colleagues, we worked well together on a whole host of issues. Our 
districts shared the entire Philadelphia-Bucks County border and then 
much of the Montgomery County-Bucks border as well.
  When I think of Mike, though, it is not so much the water safety 
issues and PFOS that we worked on or transportation or so many issues 
that affect northeast Philadelphia, Bucks County-Montgomery County. 
What really strikes me is just what a nice and decent person Mike was 
and his basic human decency. You see those same traits in his brother, 
now our colleague, Brian.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I am deep in mourning today for Mike, his wife, 
Kathleen, his six children, Mike's parents, including his father, whom 
I had the opportunity to spend time with and meet this summer. My heart 
breaks for the Fitzpatrick family, but I hope that they can take solace 
in the fact that Mike left his mark on this institution.
  Mr. Speaker, to also speak about the life of Mike Fitzpatrick, I 
yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), my friend and 
colleague.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Boyle.
  Frankly, it is my honor and privilege to join the Pennsylvania 
delegation as they honor their friend and mine, Congressman Mike 
Fitzpatrick.
  Mr. Speaker, Congressman Boyle would appreciate this. I had never 
heard of Bucks County until I came to Congress, but I learned of it 
quickly because of a young Congressman named Mike Fitzpatrick, who 
consistently talked about his home, his relationship with the people 
whom he served, whom he loved, whom he was devoted to.
  The gentleman gave some beautiful, generous comments about the nature 
of his character: He was devoted to his family; he was a man of high 
principle; he was personable. I think it is important to point out as 
well: The gentleman is a Democrat; he was a Republican; I am a 
Republican. And here we are, talking about things that actually unite 
us because of the character of people, good Americans like Mike 
Fitzpatrick, who looked for a way to be in authentic dialogue--while 
standing on his principles. He was a fighter, as well, but looked for a 
way to be in authentic dialogue, even with people he might have a 
disagreement with.
  He was my friend. I remember in that corner back there, we had a very 
intimate conversation one day of how he was facing a true dilemma 
because there was a vote that was about to be taken, for which he said, 
``This may cost me my election.'' He took that vote anyway, and it did 
cost him the election, but then he came back and joined us again.
  Mr. Speaker, let me join with Congressman Boyle and the entire 
Pennsylvania delegation in expressing my condolences to Kathleen and 
his six kids, whom he talked about and whom we got to know as well.
  Being from Nebraska, again, I am a long way from Bucks County, but 
learned a great deal about the gentleman's home and, of course, the 
deep character and the place that formed this wonderful public servant, 
Mike Fitzpatrick.
  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans).
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I, too, as all of my colleagues, not just 
Pennsylvanians, but all the others, stand up to speak about a young 
man, because he was a young man, Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember him not as just a departed 
colleague from the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but he was also 
a good person. He was someone whom I knew from the fact that, when I 
was in the State legislature and he was a Congressman, that although I 
was not in his congressional district, I knew him very much as a 
person. I knew his leadership; I knew what he provided; and I knew his 
friendliness.

  He, both, was a principled conservative and comfortable working with 
people on both sides of the aisle. That is how he got things done, 
including the creation of the Washington Crossing National Cemetery.
  He also led the effort to better secure passenger planes from 
terrorism, a cause inspired by September 11 families from Bucks County.
  Bucks County was very close to the congressional district in the 
legislative district I represented. Limekiln Pike is something that led 
up directly to Bucks County. So Mike was not a stranger to the issues 
in the southeast part of Pennsylvania, as well as the city of 
Philadelphia, as well as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  My fellow Democrats from this district all remember him as a true 
patriot, a father to Bucks County, a man of grace and honor who looked 
past politics in the community.
  There is a quote from my departed colleague, and this is what he 
said: ``Some legislators look back at how many bills they passed. I 
measure my time by how many people I helped.''
  That was a quote that Mike has stated, and I think it is important if 
all of us remember this. So, in that spirit, we from Pennsylvania stand 
with that spirit of Michael Fitzpatrick. It is safe to say he helped a 
lot of people.
  Mr. Speaker, to Brian and his family, please know that you are in our 
prayers and our thoughts. We don't take that lightly. We understand it. 
I say to you that I am honored to be a part of the delegation of people 
who are standing here today to add my voice to the importance of what 
Michael Fitzpatrick meant to this body and to this country, and I thank 
him.

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