2018: Fitzpatrick Voted Against An Amendment That Might Require The
GAO To Audit Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Investigation. In June
2018, Fitzpatrick voted against an amendment that would have, according
to CNN, "The House passed legislation Friday that includes language that
Republicans say could require the Government Accountability Office to
audit Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. The provision,
attached as an amendment to a spending bill, serves to underscore
skepticism of the Mueller investigation among House conservatives, many
of whom have called for Mueller to end his more-than-year-long probe of
possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russian meddling of the
2016 presidential election." The underlying legislation was an FY 2019
minibus of Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs. The House adopted the amendment by a
vote of 207 to 201. The House later passed the underlying legislation. A
conference report that later became law did not appear to include the
clause [House Vote 254,
6/8/18; CNN,
6/8/18;
Congressional Actions, H. Amdt.
760;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
5895]
2018: Fitzpatrick Voted For A Resolution Demanding The DOJ Turn Over
Documents Regarding The Investigation Of Carter Page And Other Former
Trump Campaign Personnel. In June 2018, Fitzpatrick voted for a
resolution that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly,
"Partisan clashes over the Justice Department and the FBI intensified
Thursday as the House adopted a resolution 226-183 demanding that
Justice leaders turn over investigative documents pertaining to the
investigation of Carter Page and other former aides to President Donald
Trump's campaign. The House resolution insists that the Justice
Department by July 6 comply with document requests and subpoenas issued
by the Intelligence and Judiciary committees regarding potential
violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by
department personnel during the FBI's investigation of Russian
influence in the 2016 presidential campaign. At the same time, top
congressional Democrats pushed back against attempts by the Republican
majority in the House to force the hand of the Justice Department." The
vote was on passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 226 to
183. [House Vote 306,
6/28/18; Congressional
Quarterly, 6/28/18;
Congressional Actions, H. Res.
970]
2017: Fitzpatrick Effectively Voted Against Considering Legislation
Creating The National Commission on Foreign Interference In The 2016
Election. In March 2017, Fitzpatrick effectively voted against
legislation that would have, according to the House Democratic Leader,
"amend[ed] the rule to allow for consideration of H.R. 356, to
establish the National Commission on Foreign Interference in the 2016
Election." According to a CRS summary of H.R. 356, the legislation
"establishes in the legislative branch the National Commission on
Foreign Interference in the 2016 Election to examine any attempts or
activities by the Russian government or other governments, persons or
entities associated with such governments, or persons or entities within
Russia to use electronic means to influence, interfere with, or sow
distrust in elections for public office held in the United States in
2016." The vote was on a motion to order the previous question on the
rule. The House agreed to the motion, thereby defeating the effort to
amend the rule, by a vote of 233 to 189. [House Vote 115,
3/1/17; Democratic
Leader, Accessed
4/17/17;
Congressional Quarterly, 3/1/17;
Congressional Actions, H. Res.
156]
Vote Was Specifically On Ending The Debate On A Rule For H.R. 1004
And H.R. 1009. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Sessions,
R-Texas, motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate
and possibility of amendment) on the rule (H Res 156) that would
provide for House floor consideration of the bill (HR 1004) that
would require federal agencies to maintain and regularly update
detailed online databases of regulatory actions taken and pending
before the agency. It would also provide for consideration of the
bill (HR 1009) that would require the Office of Management and
Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to review
significant government regulations to insure that they are
consistent with relevant laws and do not conflict with regulations
issued by other agencies. The bill would define significant
regulatory actions as those that are likely to have an annual
economic effect of $100 million or more." [Congressional
Quarterly, 3/1/17]
Voting Down A Previous Question Allows The Minority Party To
Decide What Amendments Are To Be Considered. According to the
Democratic Leader, "Defeating the previous question gives the
minority party the opportunity to decide what bill or amendments the
House will consider. When the motion for the previous question is
defeated, control of the time passes to the Member who led the
opposition to ordering the previous question. That Member, because
he or she then controls the time, may offer an amendment to the
rule, or yield for the purpose of amendment. In essence, defeat of
the previous question gives the minority party control of the floor
and of the schedule for the U.S. House of Representatives,
pertaining to the Rule that is being debated." [Democratic Leader,
Accessed
4/17/17]
2017: Fitzpatrick Effectively Voted Against Considering Legislation
Creating The National Commission on Foreign Interference In The 2016
Election. In February 2017, Fitzpatrick effectively voted against
legislation that would have, according to the House Democratic Leader,
"amend[ed] the rule to allow for consideration of H.R. 356, to
establish the National Commission on Foreign Interference in the 2016
Election." According to a CRS summary of H.R. 356, the legislation
"establishes in the legislative branch the National Commission on
Foreign Interference in the 2016 Election to examine any attempts or
activities by the Russian government or other governments, persons or
entities associated with such governments, or persons or entities within
Russia to use electronic means to influence, interfere with, or sow
distrust in elections for public office held in the United States in
2016." The vote was on a motion to order the previous question on the
rule. The House agreed to the motion, thereby defeating the effort to
amend the rule, by a vote of 233 to 190. [House Vote 93,
2/15/17; Democratic
Leader, Accessed
4/17/17;
Congressional Quarterly, 2/15/17;
Congressional Actions, H. Res.
123]
Vote Was Specifically On Ending The Debate On A Rule For H.J.Res
43 And H.J.Res. 69. According to Congressional Quarterly,
"Burgess, R-Texas, motion to order the previous question (thus
ending debate and possibility of amendment) on the rule (H Res 123)
that would provide for House floor consideration of the joint
resolution (H J Res 43) that would nullify and disapprove of a
Health and Human Services Department rule that prevents states from
restricting federal family planning funding to a health provider,
such as denying funds to a center that provides abortions, for any
basis other than its ability to provide health services. It would
also provide for consideration of a joint resolution (H J Res 69)
that would nullify an Interior Department rule that prohibits
certain predator control methods in national wildlife refuges in
Alaska." [Congressional Quarterly,
2/15/17]
Voting Down A Previous Question Allows The Minority Party To
Decide What Amendments Are Considered. According to the Democratic
Leader, "Defeating the previous question gives the minority party
the opportunity to decide what bill or amendments the House will
consider. When the motion for the previous question is defeated,
control of the time passes to the Member who led the opposition to
ordering the previous question. That Member, because he or she then
controls the time, may offer an amendment to the rule, or yield for
the purpose of amendment. In essence, defeat of the previous
question gives the minority party control of the floor and of the
schedule for the U.S. House of Representatives, pertaining to the
Rule that is being debated." [Democratic Leader, Accessed
4/17/17]
2017: Fitzpatrick Effectively Voted Against Considering Legislation
Creating The National Commission on Foreign Interference In The 2016
Election. In February 2017, Fitzpatrick effectively voted against
legislation that would have, according to the House Democratic Leader,
"amend[ed] the rule to allow for consideration of H.R. 356, to
establish the National Commission on Foreign Interference in the 2016
Election." According to a CRS summary of H.R. 356, the legislation
"establishes in the legislative branch the National Commission on
Foreign Interference in the 2016 Election to examine any attempts or
activities by the Russian government or other governments, persons or
entities associated with such governments, or persons or entities within
Russia to use electronic means to influence, interfere with, or sow
distrust in elections for public office held in the United States in
2016." The vote was on a motion to order the previous question on the
rule. The House agreed to the motion, thereby defeating the effort to
amend the rule, by a vote of 227 to 188. [House Vote 90,
2/14/17; Democratic
Leader, Accessed
4/17/17;
Congressional Quarterly, 2/14/17;
Congressional Actions, H. Res.
116]
Vote Was Specifically On Ending The Debate On A Rule For H.J.Res
66 And H.J.Res. 67. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Byrne,
R-Ala., motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate
and the possibility of amendment) on the rule (H Res 116) that would
provide for House floor consideration of a joint resolution (H J
Res 66) that would nullify and disapprove of a Labor Department rule
that exempts certain state-administered retirement savings plans
from select federal regulations if state programs meet certain
standards. It would also provide for consideration of a joint
resolution (H J Res 67) that would nullify and disapprove of a Labor
Department rule that exempts certain local government-administered
retirement savings plans for non-government employees from select
federal regulations." [Congressional Quarterly,
2/14/17]
Voting Down A Previous Question Allows The Minority Party To
Decide What Amendments Are Considered. According to the Democratic
Leader, "Defeating the previous question gives the minority party
the opportunity to decide what bill or amendments the House will
consider. When the motion for the previous question is defeated,
control of the time passes to the Member who led the opposition to
ordering the previous question. That Member, because he or she then
controls the time, may offer an amendment to the rule, or yield for
the purpose of amendment. In essence, defeat of the previous
question gives the minority party control of the floor and of the
schedule for the U.S. House of Representatives, pertaining to the
Rule that is being debated." [Democratic Leader, Accessed
4/17/17]
2019: Fitzpatrick Effectively Voted To Refer Trump's Former Personal
Attorney, Michael Cohen, To The DOJ For A Perjury Investigation. In
May 2019, Fitzpatrick effectively voted for legislation that would have,
according to The Hill, "refer[red] President Trump's former personal
attorney Michael Cohen to the Department of Justice for an investigation
into whether he perjured himself by lying to Congress. [...]
Republicans said Cohen lied when he repeatedly told members that he
'never' asked for a pardon from President Trump. Cohen was sentenced to
three years in prison in December for a series of crimes including lying
to Congress and campaign finance violations for orchestrating payments
to women who say they had affairs with the president to remain silent
during the 2016 election." The vote was on a motion to table the
resolution. The House tabled the resolution, thereby effectively
defeating it, by a vote of 226 to 183. [House Vote 174,
5/1/19; The Hill,
5/1/19;
Congressional Actions, H. Res.
304]