U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., is teaming up again with U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., this time to offer a bill holding members of Congress more accountable by ending several perks.
Fitzpatrick and Murphy brought out the “Fostering Accountability, Integrity, Trust, and Honor (FAITH) in Congress Act” on Thursday morning. The legislation would ban former members of Congress from lobbying and hold up representatives’ pay if they fail to pass a budget on time. The proposal would also make House leaders advance bills that have support from both sides of the aisle. The legislation would also freeze pay adjustments for members of Congress and make they take a recorded vote before increasing their salaries. The bill would make sure members of Congress do not fly first class on the taxpayers’ dime.
Murphy, a freshman who represents a swing district, offered her take on why she had brought out the bill.
“Members of Congress should be working for the people who sent them there, not lining their own pockets or refusing to do their jobs,” said Murphy. “My bill would hold members of Congress accountable to the American people by reducing the power of special interests, promoting bipartisanship, rolling back congressional perks, and forcing them to do their jobs or they don’t get paid. If we’re going to change Washington, we’ve got to change how Washington works.”
Fitzpatrick and Murphy have worked together on several fronts over the past 18 months. Back in the fall, they teamed up to bring out the “Combat Online Predators Act,” a bill increasing criminal penalties on stalkers going after minors including those that take part in cyberstalking. Their bill also mandates the U.S. Justice Department study federal, state and local laws targeting stalkers and reviewing the best practices to share with law enforcement agencies across the nation. The House passed the bill in April.
Last year, Fitzpatrick brought out the “Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act” to fund Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS) that are held by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Counterterrorism Center, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Murphy and U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan, R-NY, were original co-sponsors. U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-NY, later joined as co-sponsors. The House passed the bill on a 398-4 vote back in September with four Republicans--U.S. Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Thomas Massie of Kentucky--voting against it.
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