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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE HARD WORK OF THE STUDENTS OF HOLLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL
______
HON. BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following
letter:
=========================== NOTE ===========================
August 22, 2020, on page E786, the following appeared: Mr.
KITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I include in the RECORD the following
letter:
The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. FITZPATRICK.
Madam Speaker, I include in the RECORD the following letter:
========================= END NOTE =========================
Mr. Joseph Fabrizio,
Holland Middle School,
Holland, Pennsylvania.
Dear Mr. Fabrizio and the 8th Grade Class of Holland Middle
School, I appreciate that you and your class took the time to
reach out to me. One of the most important things you can do
as a citizen, other than vote, is communicate with your
elected officials. By writing a letter, sending an email, or
making a call, you ensure that I know what you are thinking
and that I can better represent you. It may sound cheesy, but
the decisions the government makes today will impact you, and
eventually it will be your turn to make the decisions in
government. My staff and I enjoyed reading the letters you
sent about the national debt and the steps we can take in
order to improve the situation. I think my colleagues in the
House could very much benefit from being able to review them
as well, so I will be putting this letter into the
Congressional Record. Once submitted, other Representatives
will know they can review what you have written. I wanted to
make a few points regarding the national debt and the steps I
have taken to address the issue. For too long, our government
has ignored this issue and refused to address significant
budgetary concerns. Two ways we can help address this issue
is by balancing the budget and ensuring that each year,
Congress approves a budget. I have introduced legislation
that focuses on both of these ideas.
The first bill, H.J. Res 11, would amend the Constitution
to require that federal government spending does not exceed
the amount of revenue that the federal government takes in.
This is a requirement that many states, including
Pennsylvania, already have. It makes sense that the federal
government should as well. Families all across the country
have to balance their household budget, the same standard
should apply to our own government.
The second bill, H.J. Res. 10, amends the Constitution to
prevent Members of Congress from being paid if Congress fails
to pass a budget. Eight hundred thousand federal employees
and their families were forced to live without paychecks last
time Congress failed to agree on a budget. No Member of
Congress should accept pay during a shutdown either. This is
an important step to restore the American people's faith in
Congress and hold public officials accountable. During the
2019 government shutdown, I chose to lead by example when I
gave $10,008.68 of my paycheck back to the U.S. taxpayers.
If you want to stay up to date on what I am doing to
address the national debt, or any other issue, feel free to
reach out to me. If you ever happen to be in our Nation's
capital, I invite you to stop by your office here in the
House of Representatives to say hello, and I would be more
than happy to offer you a tour of the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Brian Fitzpatrick
Member of Congress
____________________