January 27, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 17 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF FORMER REPRESENTATIVE MIKE FITZPATRICK; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 17
(House of Representatives - January 27, 2020)
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[Page H554] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF FORMER REPRESENTATIVE MIKE FITZPATRICK (Mr. McCARTHY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise in remembrance of Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick who passed away 3 weeks ago after a 12-year battle with cancer. Mike was a public servant in the best sense of the word, a tireless champion who loved his community and always worked to improve the lives of his neighbors. His long list of accomplishments--from the conservation of public land as a county commissioner to the creation of the Washington Crossing National Cemetery where he now rests, are achievements that any Representative would be proud to have. But one cannot accurately capture Mike's legacy without talking about the kindness that motivated his 20 years of public service. Years ago, a county park officer called Mike about a homeless man who was living in the park and needed a place to stay. The shelters in town were full and the park officer didn't know what to do. But Mike Fitzpatrick did. He let the homeless man stay on his couch for the night until he found him shelter the next day. Not everybody here knows that story. But for those who know Mike, it comes as no surprise. Mike never stopped trying to help his neighbors, even after retiring from Congress and while battling a very terrible disease. He was focused on what the late columnist Charles Krauthammer called ``the things that matter,'' such as one's family and community. For Mike, politics wasn't a career, but public service was a never- ending commitment--a passion to do good that was rooted in values like patriotism and faith and was shaped by his upbringing in Levittown. Certainly, Mike will be remembered for his willingness to cross party lines. That is fitting. He believed the measure of a person went beyond their partisan label. His bipartisan spirit has united this body many times before, and it is uniting us once again today, even in one of the most divided times in recent memory. He did not apologize for being a Republican or a conservative. But in truth, those were not the titles that mattered most to him. It was titles like: ``father,'' ``Catholic,'' and ``brother'' that mattered. He was faithful and he was honest. He lived with integrity and honor. He turned the toughest moments in his personal life and career into examples of courage, grit, and grace. Most importantly, he never shied away from asking in the words of the old prayer: ``Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.'' In this body, we remember people and their legacies by portraits, and I am sure there will be public memorials for him, but legacies of change last so much longer. In fact, it grows from generation to generation, like compounding interest or a snowball rolling downhill. Mike's legacy is right here in Congress and back home in Bucks County. They will be more than a tribute to one man. It will be an internal reminder of the values he stood for, the hard work, the faith in God, and never giving up. I want you to join me in expressing our deepest condolences to his family. His wife, Kathy, is here; his mother and father, Mary and Jim; and we all know his brother Brian, living in his legacy. May God bring us comfort and strength in this difficult time. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, Kathy, members of the Fitzpatrick family, and Members on both sides of the aisle from Pennsylvania who have lost a dear colleague with whom they served; he served with honor. He served with civility. He served as an example. Madam Speaker, at a time when rank partisanship has become sadly pervasive in Washington, Mike Fitzpatrick shone a bright light of consensus building, civility, and respect. He was an example that all of us could follow. I was sad to learn of his passing. My thoughts, of course--and I know I speak for all of us, not in a partisan sense, not in a Democratic or Republican sense, but in a human sense--are with his wife, Kathleen, their six children, and his entire family which includes our colleague, of course, Brian, his brother who succeeded him representing Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District. Madam Speaker, it speaks volumes that Mike had so many friends here on this side of the aisle in addition to his own side. The words that the Republican leader spoke could be spoken by all of us. That is because he looked past party labels and saw in all of us fellow Americans, drawn to service like he was, eager to do right by our constituents, as he was. Our colleague from Washington State, Mr. Denny Heck, shared a story about a bill he and Mike were working on together in 2013 when Republicans were in the majority. Mike was the lead sponsor. His party was in charge. But because the bill would have a better chance of getting on the suspension calendar if it were a minority bill, he gave over the lead sponsorship to Denny, giving up the greater measure of credit in order to get the bill done. That is who he was: getting things done; not taking credit, but getting the substance realized. That was leadership--responsibility and focusing on substance and achievement rather than politics and process. That was Mike Fitzpatrick. During his two periods of service in this House, Mike made a real difference to keeping children safe online, to help those affected by the housing collapse, and to track and stop the financing of terrorist groups around the world. He will be remembered by all who served with him, by his constituents, all of his friends, and, certainly, his family; remembered for the kind person that he was, for the thoughtful person he was, for the courteous person he was, and as an effective legislator, for his good nature and his integrity. I want to thank my friend, the Republican leader, for leading this tribute, and I want to thank all of those on both sides who have taken the time to share stories about Mike and the impact he had on us, on this House, on Pennsylvania, on America. The SPEAKER. The Chair now asks all present to rise and observe a moment of silence. ____________________
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