Upd8: Fitzpatrick talks bipartisanship; Naughton collects endorsements

By Tom Waring
Wire Staff Writer

U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick talked bipartisanship last week at a local Rotary Club meeting.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took aim at Fitzpatrick on the issue of Obamacare, while a liberal advocacy group tried to link him to the Tea Party.

Also, Democrat Shaughnessy Naughton collected endorsements from several Bucks County political leaders.

Fitzpatrick, a Republican, addressed the Langhorne Rotary on Jan. 23. He highlighted his involvement with the group No Labels, which recently published a book that included the congressman’s work. He spoke of common-sense reforms and introduced legislation to address federal waste, fraud and inefficiency.

“{T}here have been far too many bills — mine or my colleagues — that have failed to get attention in a Congress that has just recently broken a habit of ‘governing by crisis,’ ” he said. “Partisan gridlock has all but crippled the public’s view of our federal government, which makes it so hard to imagine that there actually are lawmakers — like me — willing to come together and tackle some of the biggest issues facing our nation.”

Fitzpatrick, who was one of 10 lawmakers to contribute to No Labels: A Shared Vision for a Stronger America, spoke in the book about the 10 years he spent as a Bucks County commissioner and the three-member board’s goal of consensus agreement.

“Though we only needed two votes to pass a resolution, my goal during the five years I was chairman was always to get all three,” he said.

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On the third anniversary of the first vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the DCCC launched an automated phone call campaign against 21 House Republicans, including Fitzpatrick, that the committee considers “vulnerable.”

The script urges people to call the lawmakers’ offices and reads, in part: “For three years, your congressman has been obsessed with one thing. Not jobs. Not the economy. Not opportunity. Can you guess what he’s done instead?

“Nearly 50 times, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick and Republicans in Congress have voted to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act — not to fix it. Congressman Fitzpatrick would take us back to a time when insurance companies could do whatever they wanted to raise rates, drop coverage and deny care. You don’t want to go back to a time when hardworking families had to declare bankruptcy because of health care costs.

“Congressman Fitzpatrick should be focused on strengthening the economy. Instead, he’s trying to take away your health care protections. Tell him to get his priorities straight.”

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Americans United for Change released “Tea Stained,” a legislative scorecard for 47 Republican House members who are running for re-election in statistically swing districts or who are facing significant re-election challenges. According to the scorecard, Fitzpatrick voted with the Tea Party 73 percent of the time.

Fitzpatrick’s score would have been higher, the group said, but he voted three times in favor of bills related to Hurricane Sandy relief.

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Shaughnessy Naughton and Kevin Strouse are the two Democrats who’ll meet in the May 20 primary for the right to challenge Fitzpatrick.

Naughton was endorsed last week by Helen Tai, a supervisor in Solebury Township; Jeff Dence, vice chairman of the Falls Township Board of Supervisors; and Jesse Waldenville, treasurer of the Newtown Democratic Club and vice chairman of State Assembly District 31.

“I am proud to endorse Shaughnessy because she will fight to do what’s right for the environment,” Tai said.

Dence cited her commitment to investing in education and infrastructure and focusing on technological advancements to create good-paying jobs.

Waldenville believes Naughton will fight against budget cuts that he said led to a decision by Lockheed Martin to announce its plan to close its facility in Newtown Township.

“I want to stop that job loss and get us back on track,” Naughton said. “There’s no reason employers shouldn’t be flocking to our communities. We need to invest in industries that will create jobs, grow our economy and support our families.”