OnTheIssuesLogo

Mike Fitzpatrick on Education

Former Republican Representative (PA-8, 2005-2007)

 


Voted YES on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program.

Congressional Summary:The SOAR Act award five-year grants on a competitive basis to nonprofit organizations to carry out an expanded school choice opportunities to students who are District of Columbia residents and who come from households:
  1. receiving assistance under the supplemental nutrition assistance program; or
  2. with incomes not exceeding 185% of the poverty line.
Provides funds to the Mayor of DC, if the Mayor agrees to specified requirements, for:
  1. the DC public schools to improve public education, and
  2. the DC public charter schools to improve and expand quality public charter schools.

Proponent's Argument for voting Yes:
[Rep. Bishop, R-UT]: In 1996, Congress insisted upon a charter school program in DC. You will hear from both sides of the aisle recognition of the great value that that program has, and justifiably so. There is a waiting list in DC for those charter schools. This bill increases the percentage of funding going to charter schools in the District. In 2003, an Opportunity Scholarship was instituted, at the insistence of Congress. Again, there was a waiting list of people wanting the opportunity; disadvantaged kids who wanted the opportunity that this scholarship afforded them. There were 216 kids at the time scheduled to enter the program who were not allowed; the bill remedies that.

Opponent's Argument for voting No:
[Rep. Hastings, D-FL]: In the last 41 years voters have rejected private school vouchers every time they have been proposed. In 1981, 89% of the people in a referendum in DC voted against vouchers. So how dare we come here to tell these people that we are going to thrust upon them something they don't want without a single public official in this community being consulted. Congress' oversight of the District is not an excuse for political pandering to the Republicans' special interest of the day du jour.

Reference: Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (SOAR); Bill HRes186 ; vote number 11-HV200 on Mar 30, 2011

Voted NO on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance.

Amendment to preserve the authority of the US Supreme Court to decide any question pertaining to the Pledge of Allegiance. The bill underlying this amendment would disallow any federal courts from hearing cases concerning the Pledge of Allegiance. This amendment would make an exception for the Supreme Court.

Proponents support voting YES because:

I believe that our Pledge of Allegiance with its use of the phrase "under God" is entirely consistent with our Nation's cultural and historic traditions. I also believe that the Court holding that use of this phrase is unconstitutional is wrong. But this court-stripping bill is not necessary. This legislation would bar a Federal court, including the Supreme Court, from reviewing any claim that challenges the recitation of the Pledge on first amendment grounds.

If we are a Nation of laws, we must be committed to allowing courts to decide what the law is. This bill is unnecessary and probably unconstitutional. It would contradict the principle of Marbury v. Madison, intrude on the principles of separation of powers, and degrade our independent Federal judiciary.

Opponents support voting NO because:

I was disappointed 4 years ago when two judges of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that our Pledge, our statement of shared national values, was somehow unconstitutional. I do not take legislation that removes an issue from the jurisdiction of this court system lightly. This legislation is appropriate, however, because of the egregious conduct of the courts in dealing with the Pledge of Allegiance.

By striking "under God" from the Pledge, the Court has shown contempt for the Congress which approved the language, and, more importantly, shows a complete disregard for the millions of Americans who proudly recite the Pledge as a statement of our shared national values and aspirations. No one is required to recite the Pledge if they disagree with its message.

Reference: Watt amendment to Pledge Protection Act; Bill H R 2389 ; vote number 2006-384 on Jul 19, 2006

Voted NO on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges.

This vote is on a substitute bill (which means an amendment which replaces the entire text of the original bill). Voting YES means support for the key differences from the original bill: lowering student loan interest rates; $59 million for a new Predominantly Black Serving Institution program; $25 million for a new graduate Hispanic Serving Institution program; provide for year- round Pell grants; and repeal the Single Lender rule. The substitute's proponents say:
  • The original bill has some critical shortcomings. First and foremost, this substitute will cut the new Pell Grant fixed interest rate in half from 6.8% to 3.4%, to reduce college costs to those students most in need.
  • It would also establish a new predominantly black-serving institutions programs to boost college participation rates for low-income black students, and a new graduate Hispanic-serving institution program.
  • As we saw from 1995 to 2000, the questions employers were asking was not your race, not your ethnicity, not your religion, they wanted to know if you had the skills and talents to do the job. Most often today, those skills and that talent requires a higher education. A college education is going to have to become as common as a high school education.
    Reference: Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Act; Bill HR 609 Amendment 772 ; vote number 2006-080 on Mar 30, 2006

    Sponsored supporting the contributions of Catholic schools.

    Fitzpatrick co-sponsored House Resolution on parochial schools

      Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Ho
      Source: H.RES.46 13-HRes46 on Jan 23, 2013

      2016-17 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Education: Mike Fitzpatrick on other issues:
      PA Gubernatorial:
      Allyson Schwartz
      Mark Critz
      Michael Nutter
      Scott Wagner
      Tom Corbett
      Tom Wolf
      PA Senatorial:
      Bob Casey

      Newly-elected Democrats as of Jan.2017:
      AZ-1:O`Halleran(D)
      CA-17:Khanna(D)
      CA-20:Panetta(D)
      CA-24:Carbajal(D)
      CA-44:Barragan(D)
      CA-46:Correa(D)
      DE-0:Rochester(D)
      FL-5:Lawson(D)
      FL-7:Murphy(D)
      FL-9:Soto(D)
      FL-10:Demings(D)
      FL-13:Crist(D)
      HI-1:Hanabusa(D)
      IL-10:Schneider(D)
      IL-8:Krishnamoorthi(D)
      MD-4:Brown(D)
      MD-8:Raskin(D)
      NH-1:Shea-Porter(D)
      NJ-5:Gottheimer(D)
      NV-3:Rosen(D)
      NV-4:Kihuen(D)
      NY-3:Suozzi(D)
      NY-13:Espaillat(D)
      PA-2:Evans(D)
      TX-15:Gonzalez(D)
      VA-4:McEachin(D)
      WA-7:Jayapal(D)
      Newly-elected Republicans as of Jan.2017:
      AZ-5:Biggs(R)
      FL-1:Gaetz(R)
      FL-2:Dunn(R)
      FL-18:Mast(R)
      FL-19:Rooney(R)
      FL-4:Rutherford(R)
      GA-3:Ferguson(R)
      IN-3:Banks(R)
      IN-9:Hollingsworth(R)
      KS-1:Marshall(R)
      KY-1:Comer(R)
      MI-1:Bergman(R)
      MI-10:Mitchell(R)
      MN-2:Lewis(R)
      NC-13:Budd(R)
      NE-2:Bacon(R)
      NY-19:Faso(R)
      NY-22:Tenney(R)
      PA-8:Fitzpatrick(R)
      TN-8:Kustoff(R)
      TX-19:Arrington(R)
      VA-2:Taylor(R)
      VA-5:Garrett(R)
      WI-8:Gallagher(R)
      WY-0:Cheney(R)
      Abortion
      Budget/Economy
      Civil Rights
      Corporations
      Crime
      Drugs
      Education
      Energy/Oil
      Environment
      Families/Children
      Foreign Policy
      Free Trade
      Govt. Reform
      Gun Control
      Health Care
      Homeland Security
      Immigration
      Infrastructure/Technology
      Jobs
      Principles/Values
      Social Security
      Tax Reform
      War/Iraq/Mideast
      Welfare/Poverty

      Main Page
      Wikipedia Profile
      Ballotpedia Profile
      PA politicians
      PA Archives

      Contact info:
      House Contact
      Mailing Address:
      Office 1224 LHOB, Wash., DC 20515
      Phone number:
      202-225-4276





      Page last updated: Jun 30, 2017