2019: Fitzpatrick Effectively Voted For The FY 2020 National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA), Which. In December 2019, Fitzpatrick
effectively voted for the FY 2020 NDAA. According to Congressional
Quarterly, "In the wake of Russian interference in the U.S. electoral
process, the measure contains a number of provisions relating to
election security. It directs the Homeland Security Department (DHS) to
submit a report on cyberattacks and attempted cyberattacks by foreign
governments on U.S. election infrastructure in connection with the 2016
presidential election, including states and localities affected and
efforts to attack voter registration databases, voting machines, and
voting-related computer networks." The vote was on adoption of the
conference report to accompany the bill. The House adopted the
conference report by a vote of 377-48. The bill was later passed by the
Senate and signed into law by the President. [House Vote 672,
12/11/19; Congressional
Quarterly,
12/17/19;
Congressional Actions,
S.1790]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted Against An Amendment That Would Require A
Study On The 2020 Elections And Recommendations To Support States
Improve Their Vote-By-Mail Systems. In March 2021, Fitzpatrick voted
against en block amendments no. 1 to the For The People Act which would,
according to Congressional Quarterly, "require the Election Assistance
Commission to conduct a study on the 2020 elections and compile a list
of recommendations to help states transition to or improve their current
vote-by-mail system." The vote was on adoption of amendments. The House
adopted the amendments by a vote of 218-210. [House Vote 52,
3/2/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/2/21;
Congressional Actions, H.Amdt.
16;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Assessing Cyber Threats Before Any
Election. In March 2021, Fitzpatrick voted against the For The People
Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require the
Homeland Security Department to assess cyber threats to the election
system prior to any election." The vote was on passage. The House passed
the bill by a vote of 220-210. The Senate did not take substantive
action on the bill. [House Vote 62,
3/3/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/3/21; Congressional
Actions, H.R.
1]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted For An Amendment That Would Appoint A Senior
Cyber Policy Advisor To Be The Primary Policy Advisor To The Election
Assistance Commission On Cybersecurity For National Elections. In
March 2021, Fitzpatrick voted for en bloc amendments no.3 to the For The
People Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "direct
the Election Assistance Commission to appoint a senior cyber policy
advisor to be the primary policy advisor to the commission on
cybersecurity matters for federal elections." The vote was on adoption
of amendments. The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 221-207.
[House Vote 55, 3/2/21;
Congressional Quarterly,
3/2/21; Congressional Actions,
H.Amdt.
20;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Making Election Day A Federal Holiday
As Part Of A Larger Anti-Corruption And Democracy Reform Bill. In
March 2019, Fitzpatrick voted against The 'For The People Act.'
According to Congressional Quarterly, "The bill includes numerous
provisions intended to make it easier for Americans to register and vote
in federal elections --- including by making the general election day in
November a federal holiday and expressing the sense of Congress that
private employers should also give their employees that day off so they
can vote." The overall was, also according to CBS News, "the most
sweeping anti-corruption measure passed by the House of Representatives
in a generation, by a vote of 234 to 193. The bill focuses on voting
rights, campaign finance, and government ethics." The vote was on
passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 234 to 193. [House Vote
118, 3/8/19;
Congressional Quarterly, 3/5/19;
CBS News,
3/8/19;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted Against An Amendment That Would Strike A
Provision That Would Protect U.S. Democratic Institutions From
Activities That Undermine Integrity Such As Cyber Attacks,
Disinformation, And Influence Operations. In March 2021, Fitzpatrick
voted against an amendment to For The People Act which would, according
to Congressional Quarterly, "strike from the bill a section that would
require the creation of a national strategy to protect against cyber
attacks, influence operations, disinformation campaigns and other
activities that could undermine the security and integrity of U.S.
democratic institutions, and that would establish a commission to
counter efforts to undermine democratic institutions within the United
States." The vote was on adoption of an amendment. The House rejected
the amendment by a vote of 207-218. [House Vote 54,
3/2/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/2/21;
Congressional Actions, H.Amdt.
19;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For The FY 2020 Minibus Appropriations Bill,
Which Provided $440 Million To The Election Assistance Commission. In
December 2019, Fitzpatrick voted for the FY 2020 minibus appropriations
bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill "provides $440
million to the Election Assistance Commission, including $425 million
in new grants to improve the security and integrity of elections for
Federal office." 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]
2018: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Increasing Funding For The Election
Assistance Commission By $380 Million. In July 2018, Fitzpatrick
voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional
Quarterly, "increase[d] funding for the Election Assistance Commission
by $380 million, and would decrease funding for the 'Fund for America's
Kids and Grandkids' by the same amount." The underlying legislation was
an FY 2019 Interior, Environment and Financial Services appropriations
bill. The vote was on a motion to recommit. The House rejected the
motion, thereby defeating the amendment, by a vote of 182 to 232.
[House Vote 364,
7/19/18; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/19/18; Congressional
Actions, H.R.
6147]
2018: Fitzpatrick Voted For The $1.3 Trillion FY 2018 Omnibus
Spending Deal Which Raised Spending By $138 Billion Over FY 2017
Levels, Including $300 Million To The FBI To Counter Russian Election
Hacking And $380 Million For The Election Assistance Commission To Help
States Improve Election Security. In March 2018, Fitzpatrick voted for
the FY 2018 Omnibus spending bill. According to Congressional Quarterly,
"Combined, the spending measures would provide about $1.3 trillion in
discretionary spending, with $1.2 trillion subject to discretionary
spending caps, and $78.1 billion designated as Overseas Contingency
Operations funds. The measure's spending levels are consistent with the
increased defense and non-defense budget caps set by the two-year budget
deal agreed to last month. That agreement increased the FY 2018 defense
cap by $80 billion and the non-defense cap by $63 billion. Given that
the previous caps were set to reduce overall discretionary spending by
$5 billion, the net increase provided by the omnibus is $138 billion
over the FY 2017 level." The vote was on the motion to concur in the
Senate Amendment with an Amendment. The House agreed to the motion,
thereby passing the bill, by a vote of 256 to 167. The Senate later
agreed to the legislation, sending it to the president, who signed it
into law. [House Vote 127,
3/22/18; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/22/18; Congressional
Actions, H.R.
1625]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted Against An Election Security Bill To Counter
Foreign Interference In American Elections. In October 2019,
Fitzpatrick voted against a bill that would, according to Congressional
Quarterly, "expand disclosure requirements for political advertisements
and prohibit certain activities related to political campaigns,
particularly with regards to foreign influence. Specifically, the bill
would require political campaign committees to report foreign contacts
by the campaign to the Federal Election Commission and Federal Bureau of
Investigation, within one week of the contact. It would require such
disclosures in the case of any direct or indirect foreign communication
between the candidate or campaign officials and foreign nationals that
involves any offer or proposal for a contribution or provision of
services between the two entities. It would require candidates and
campaign officials to notify their campaign committees within three days
of such contact. It would establish criminal penalties for violations of
these disclosure requirements, including fines of up to $500,000 or a
prison term of up to five years. The bill would expand certain existing
FEC regulations for political advertising to include internet
communications, including to require paid advertisement disclaimers and
prohibit spending by foreign nationals for online and digital political
ads. Among other provisions, it would also establish criminal penalties
for any attempts to hinder, interfere with, or prevent a person from
voting or registering to vote, and it would require reports to Congress
within 180 days of each federal election detailing reports of deceptive
practices and evaluating the influence of foreign financing in U.S.
elections." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote
of 227-181. The bill was never taken up in the Senate. [House Vote 583,
10/23/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 10/23/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.R.4617]
The Election Security Bill Criminalized The Sharing Of Nonpublic
Information Between Campaigns And Foreign Nationals. According to
Congressional Quarterly, "House Democrats passed more legislation
Wednesday meant to counter foreign interference in American
elections [...] The legislation would require campaigns to report
offers of foreign assistance to the FBI, restrict foreign nationals
from the decision-making process of political action committees and
establish disclosure rules to keep foreign nationals from funding
online advertisements about candidates, elections and national
legislative issues, among other provisions [...] The bill would
also make it a crime for candidates or their campaigns to give a
foreign national nonpublic information related to an American
election." [Congressional Quarterly,
10/23/19]
Republicans Cited First Amendment Concerns In Opposition To The
Bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Republicans who
oppose the legislation say something is needed to address foreign
meddling, but that this bill is not the solution because of First
Amendment concerns and significant flaws in the provisions."
[Congressional Quarterly,
10/23/19]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted Against An Election Security Bill Related To
Voting System Infrastructure. In June 2019, Fitzpatrick voted against
a bill that would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "authorize
funding for and establish a number of requirements related to voting
system infrastructure, security, and audits for federal elections.
Specifically, it would require each jurisdiction administering voting
for a federal election to conduct votes with paper ballots that can be
counted either by hand or optical scanner and to conduct manual audits
for all federal elections before an election is certified. It would
authorize $1.3 billion through fiscal 2026 for U.S. Election Assistance
Commission grants for states to update voting systems in accordance with
the bill's provisions, including for cybersecurity risk mitigation and
to conduct post-election audits. Among other provisions, it would
require states to use voting system hardware and software manufactured
in the U.S., require that such systems are tested by the Commission at
least nine months before a general federal election, and establish
certain disclosure and cybersecurity incident reporting requirements for
vendors of voting system equipment. It would also prohibit states from
using voting systems connected to the internet or containing wireless
capabilities and would require jurisdictions to ensure that each polling
station has voting systems equipped for individuals with disabilities,
including visual and mobility disabilities." The vote was on passage.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 225-184. The bill was never taken
up in the Senate. [House Vote 428,
6/27/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 6/27/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.R.2722]
The Bill Required Voting Systems To Use Backup Paper Ballots In
Federal Elections. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The
house passed an election security measure Thursday that would
require voting systems to use backup paper ballots in federal
contests, while also mandating improvements to the higher-tech side
of politics [...] It would also require implementation of
cybersecurity safeguards for hardware and software used in
elections, bar the use of wireless communication devices in election
systems and require that electronic voting machines be manufactured
in the United States." [Congressional Quarterly,
6/27/19]
Republicans Opposed The Bill, Arguing That It Was Federal
Overreach Into Elections And Infringed Upon States' Authority.
According to Congressional Quarterly, "Republicans acknowledged the
urgent need for action in securing the nation's election systems.
But they spoke out against the bill, calling it federal overreach
into elections, which are managed by states and localities.
'Democrats' bill focuses on forcing states to restructure their
election systems through federal mandates and ignores states' rights
to choose the election system that best fits their unique needs,"
said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill, the ranking Republican on the
Administration Committee [...] So far, McConnell has refused to
allow votes on any election security proposals, citing concerns that
the measures would erode state authority over elections."
[Congressional Quarterly,
6/27/19]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Requiring Contingency Plans To Allow
Voting During A State Of Emergency, Including A Natural Disaster Or
Pandemic. In March 2021, Fitzpatrick voted against the For The People
Act which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require states
to establish contingency plans to enable voting during an emergency,
including a natural disaster or infectious disease." The vote was on
passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 220-210. The Senate did
not take substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 62,
3/3/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/3/21; Congressional
Actions, H.R.
1]
2017: Fitzpatrick Voted Against The FY 2018 Republican Study Committee
Budget Resolution Which In Part Called For Eliminating The Election
Assistance Commission. In October 2017, Fitzpatrick voted against a
budget resolution that would in part, according to Congressional
Quarterly, "provide for $2.9 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal
2018. It would balance the budget by fiscal 2023 by reducing spending by
$10.1 trillion over 10 years. It would cap total discretionary spending
at $1.06 trillion for fiscal 2018 and would assume no separate Overseas
Contingency Operations funding for fiscal 2018 or subsequent years and
would incorporate funding related to war or terror into the base defense
account. It would assume repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul and
would convert Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program into
a single block grant program. It would require that off budget programs,
such as Social Security, the U.S. Postal Service, and Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac, be included in the budget." The underlying legislation was
an FY 2018 House GOP budget resolution. The House rejected the RSC
budget by a vote of 139 to 281. [House Vote 555,
10/5/17; Congressional
Quarterly, 10/5/17; Congressional
Actions, H. Amdt.
455;
Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res.
71]
2024: Fitzpatrick Voted To Require All Mail-In Ballots To Have
Tracking Information. In November 2024, Fitzpatrick voted for ,
according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill, as amended, that would
require all mail-in ballot envelopes used in any election for federal
office to include a USPS bar code that enables individual ballots to be
tracked, satisfy USPS ballot envelope design and machine-readable
requirements, and include the Official Election Mail Logo. It would
specify that write-in absentee ballots and ballot envelopes provided
under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act would be
exempt from the bill's requirements." The House passed the bill by a
vote of 396 to 6. [House Vote 467,
11/18/24; Congressional
Quarterly, 11/18/24;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
5658]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted For An Amendment That Would Require Certain
Polling Locations To Stay Open For An Extended Four Hours Outside The
Typical Working Hours Of 9 AM To 5 PM. In March 2021, Fitzpatrick
voted for en bloc amendments no.4 to the For The People Act which would,
according to Congressional Quarterly, "require states to run polling
locations that are open for at least four hours outside of the period
between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m." The vote was on adoption of amendments.
The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 223-208. [House Vote 58,
3/3/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/3/21;
Congressional Actions, H.Amdt.
23;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted For An Amendment That Would Require Election
Officials To Consider Linguistic Preferences When Posting Polling
Location Notices. In March 2021, Fitzpatrick voted for en bloc
amendments no.3 to the For The People Act which would, according to
Congressional Quarterly, "require election officials to take the
linguistic preferences of voters in the jurisdiction into account when
posting required notices at polling locations." The vote was on adoption
of amendments. The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 221-207.
[House Vote 55, 3/2/21;
Congressional Quarterly,
3/2/21; Congressional Actions,
H.Amdt.
20;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted Against An Amendment That Would Allow College
Campuses To Serve As Polling Locations. In March 2021, Fitzpatrick
voted against en block amendments no. 1 to the For The People Act which
would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require states to ensure
that polling places that allow early voting be located on campuses of
higher education institutions." The vote was on adoption of amendments.
The House adopted the amendments by a vote of 218-210. [House Vote 52,
3/2/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/2/21;
Congressional Actions, H.Amdt.
16;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1]
2025: Fitzpatrick Voted To Require Proof Of Citizenship To Register To
Vote In Federal Elections. In April 2025, Fitzpatrick voted for ,
according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill that would modify the
1993 law known as the National Voter Registration Act to require
individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to
vote in federal elections, including registering by mail. The bill also
would require states to remove non-citizens from state voting rolls and
provide states with access to federal databases to identify registered
non-citizens. It also would allow private citizens to sue election
officials who register individuals to vote without providing proof of
citizenship and would establish criminal penalties for such actions."
The vote was on the motion to concur. The House concurred by a vote of
220 to 208. [House Vote 102,
4/10/25; Congressional
Quarterly, 4/10/25;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
22]