31 Facts About Mike Fitzpatrick

Michael Gerard Fitzpatrick was an American attorney and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 2005 to 2007 and 2011 to 2017.

Mike Fitzpatrick was first elected to Congress in 2004 and represented the district from 2005 to 2007, but he was defeated by Democrat Patrick Murphy in 2006.

Mike Fitzpatrick declined to run for his old seat in 2008 but ran again in 2010, and won a rematch with Murphy.

Mike Fitzpatrick was considered a moderate Republican, and consistently ranked among the most bipartisan members of Congress.

Mike Fitzpatrick was born in Philadelphia and raised in Bucks County.

Mike Fitzpatrick graduated from Bishop Egan High School, now Conwell-Egan Catholic High School, in Fairless Hills.

Mike Fitzpatrick moved to Florida to attend St Thomas University with an academic scholarship where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1985 from the school's honors program.

Mike Fitzpatrick earned his JD degree from the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State University.

Mike Fitzpatrick was named business manager of the Dickinson Journal of International Law.

In January 1995, Mike Fitzpatrick was appointed to the Bucks County Board of Commissioners by an 11-member panel of county judges.

Mike Fitzpatrick, who was an attorney at a firm active in county affairs, was the candidate preferred by county Republican Party leaders.

Mike Fitzpatrick supported a $7 million information-technology project to upgrade the county's communication and outreach abilities in light of the Information Age.

Mike Fitzpatrick went on to face liberal activist Virginia Schrader in the general election.

Mike Fitzpatrick faced Democrat Patrick Murphy in the November general election of 2006.

Mike Fitzpatrick was endorsed by several environmental groups including the Sierra Club.

Mike Fitzpatrick was the only incumbent Republican congressman in Pennsylvania who had the support of the environmentalist lobby during this election.

Philadelphia television station NBC 10 later reported that Mike Fitzpatrick had conceded the election to Murphy.

In May 2006, Mike Fitzpatrick introduced the Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006, which requires most schools and libraries to actively restrict minors from access to "Commercial Social Networking Websites" and "Chat Rooms".

Mike Fitzpatrick served on the United States House Committee on Financial Services and the United States House Committee on Small Business.

Mike Fitzpatrick laid the rumors to rest in January 2008 by announcing that he would not be running for Congress, but instead would challenge freshman State Representative Chris King in the 142nd District.

Mike Fitzpatrick yielded his spot on the ballot to Republican activist Frank Farry, and supported Doylestown pharmaceutical company executive Thomas Manion for the congressional seat he once held.

On January 23,2010, Mike Fitzpatrick announced he would run for his old seat in the House of Representatives.

Mike Fitzpatrick pledged that if elected, he would only serve for a maximum of three more terms, for a total of four terms.

Mike Fitzpatrick was sworn in on January 5,2011, and has joined the Republican Main Street Partnership.

On January 5,2011, Mike Fitzpatrick failed to attend the swearing-in ceremony for members and attempted to take the oath-of-office remotely at a reception.

Since December 2014, Mike Fitzpatrick has been a leading voice in Congress on medical device safety.

Mike Fitzpatrick has pressed the FDA after dangerous medical devices remained in use after causing serious injury and death.

Mike Fitzpatrick was affiliated with the Washington Crossing Council of the Boy Scouts of America and was a member of the Temple Lower Bucks Hospital Board of Directors, the Conwell-Egan Catholic Board of Advisors, the Knights of Columbus, the Levittown Bristol Kiwanis Club, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Brehon Law Society.

Mike Fitzpatrick was an Eagle Scout from the Bucks County Council and former president of that council, and was honored with the Silver Beaver Award for his services to Scouting.

Mike Fitzpatrick reported five months later that the cancer went into remission after chemotherapy.

Mike Fitzpatrick died from melanoma at his home in Levittown on January 6,2020, at age 56.