WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08) introduced legislation this week that would permanently remove ‘Members Only’ signs from the U.S. House of Representatives complex. The unprecedented move - aimed at reminding Washington politicians they were elected as citizen legislators, not an elite ruling class – would end the practice of members of Congress having access to special doorways, elevator and other spaces.

“After being elected to Congress to serve as the independent voice of the people of Bucks and Montgomery counties, I was disgusted to find the ‘People’s House’ complex littered with signage with the sole purpose of separating members of Congress from the people they work for,” said Fitzpatrick. “Even little things like this highlight why too many Americans feel left out. They see a system that does more to preserve the status quo than it does solving our most pressing challenges, and a class of career politicians and elite insiders who see themselves as a separate class than their constituents. That mindset needs to stop – and I will do anything I can to end it.”

Since his swearing in earlier this month, Fitzpatrick has dedicated much of his effort to Congressional reform and anti-corruption measures to fix Washington’s broken system. Including introducing a legislative package on his first day in office comprised of:

• A Constitutional Amendment enacting term limits for all members of Congress;
• A Constitutional Amendment preventing members of Congress from being paid unless a budget is passed.  This is not just withholding pay for a little while, this is complete forfeiture; 
• A Balanced Budget amendment so we are forced to stop kicking the can down the road, and will create a fiscal path that will allow the next generation to thrive;
• And a bill I call the Citizen Legislature Anti-Corruption Reform – or CLEAN – Act that includes language to:
  • End Congressional “pensions for life” and directs members toward standard 401K retirement savings accounts
  • Requires this body to debate and act on single-issue legislation
  • Codifies that all laws passed by Congress apply to its members
  • Reforms the broken “Gerrymandering” process by moving all redistricting to independent, non-partisan citizen commissions, and
  • Expands access to political party primaries to include both Independents and non-affiliated voters

If adopted, the two-page resolution (H.Res 62) instructs the Speaker of the House, in consultation with the Architect of the Capitol and the House Office Building Commission, to remove any sign stating “Members Only” from the House of Representatives wing of the United States Capitol and any House office building.

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Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick is serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs & Small Business committees. He represents Pennsylvania’s 8th District which includes all of Bucks County as well as a portion of Montgomery County. He is a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).