2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For The FY 2020 Minibus Appropriations Bill,
Which Rejected The Trump Administration's Proposal To Abolish The Office
Of Personnel Management. In December 2019, Fitzpatrick voted for the
FY 2020 minibus appropriations bill. According to Congressional
Quarterly, "The bill provides $330 Million to the Office of Personnel
Management, and according to Congressional Quarterly, "it also rejects
the administration's proposal to abolish the agency." The vote was a
motion to concur in the Senate Amendment. The House agreed to the motion
by a vote of 280-138. The Senate then passed the bill and the President
signed the bill into law. [House Vote 690,
12/17/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/17/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.R.1158]
Trump Wanted To Breakup The Agency To Show His Commitment To
Eliminating Inefficiencies In Government. According to the
Washington Post, "For Trump, the breakup of the 5,565-employee
federal personnel agency would offer a jolt of bureaucratic
defibrillation to a slow-to-change workforce that the president and
his top aides have targeted as a symptom of a sluggish, inefficient
government [...] The agency is responsible for managing the
civilian federal workforce; coordinating hiring, recruiting and
performance policies; overseeing health insurance and retirement
benefits; and ensuring that agencies adhere to laws governing
employees' rights under an apolitical merit system." [Washington
Post,
4/10/19]
American Federation Of Government Employees: Abolishing The OPM
Would Be "Disastrous." According to the Washington Post, "The
American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal
employee union, with 750,000 members, is calling the idea "Trump's
Dangerous Plan to Abolish OPM" and predicting a "disastrous" result
if policy for federal employees moves so close to the White House."
[Washington Post,
4/10/19]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For Blocking The Trump Administration's
Proposal To Breaking Up The Office Of Personnel Management. In July
2019, Fitzpatrick voted for an amendment to the House FY 2020 NDAA that
would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit the president or
a designee from transferring any functions of or consolidating any part
of the Office of Personnel Management with other offices or agencies."
The vote was on adoption. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of
247-182. [House Vote 443,
7/11/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/11/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.Amdt.513;
Congressional Actions,
H.R.2500]
Trump Wanted To Breakup The Agency To Show His Commitment To
Eliminating Inefficiencies In Government. According to the
Washington Post, "For Trump, the breakup of the 5,565-employee
federal personnel agency would offer a jolt of bureaucratic
defibrillation to a slow-to-change workforce that the president and
his top aides have targeted as a symptom of a sluggish, inefficient
government [...] The agency is responsible for managing the
civilian federal workforce; coordinating hiring, recruiting and
performance policies; overseeing health insurance and retirement
benefits; and ensuring that agencies adhere to laws governing
employees' rights under an apolitical merit system." [Washington
Post,
4/10/19]
American Federation Of Government Employees: Abolishing The OPM
Would Be "Disastrous." According to the Washington Post, "The
American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal
employee union, with 750,000 members, is calling the idea "Trump's
Dangerous Plan to Abolish OPM" and predicting a "disastrous" result
if policy for federal employees moves so close to the White House."
[Washington Post,
4/10/19]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For Prohibiting The OPM From Contracting With
Health Benefit Plan Carriers That Do Not Participate In The Fair Price
Negotiation Program. In December 2019, Fitzpatrick voted for an
amendment to a bill lowering drug prices for Medicare that would,
according to Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit the federal office of
personnel management from contracting with a health benefits plan if the
plan carrier has elected not to participate in the fair price
negotiation program established by the bill." The vote was on adoption
of an amendment. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 231-192.
[House Vote 679,
12/12/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/12/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.Amdt.720;
Congressional Actions,
H.R.3]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted For An Amendment That Would Direct The Office
Of Personnel Management To Publish information On Federal Government
Political Appointee Positions On An Online Platform. In September
2021, Fitzpatrick voted for an amendment to the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 which would, according to
Congressional Quarterly, "require the Office of Personnel Management to
publish the information in the so-called Plum Book, which lists
political appointee positions across the federal government, on a public
website in an easily searchable format." The vote was on adoption of an
amendment. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 223-202. [House
Vote 280, 9/23/21;
Congressional Quarterly,
9/23/21; Congressional
Actions, H.Amdt.
115;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
4350]