Tom Waring, the Wire
Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick released the results of an 8th Congressional District-wide poll that showed Bucks and Montgomery county residents oppose the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran by a two-to-one margin.
“It’s been said: ‘As goes Bucks County, so goes the nation.’ As one of the few remaining true swing districts, our congressional district provides a cross-section of America: roughly half Republican and half Democrat,” Fitzpatrick said.
“No example is more reflective than the results of a recent online poll from my office about the Iran nuclear agreement. Nearly 2,500 constituents participated, and 66 percent opposed the deal. These returns are in line with national polls showing Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the deal by a 2–1 margin — including 2/3 of national security professionals. These results cut across geographic, cultural and political lines.”
Fitzpatrick, chairman of the bipartisan Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, has expressed a number of concerns regarding the agreement, including its failure to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, the increased threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and the danger of sanctions relief expanding Tehran’s sponsorship of terror.
The online survey data was collected from Aug. 20 to Sept. 1. A total of 2,494 constituent responses were recorded on the question, “Do you support the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran?” The count was 1,634 to 860.
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Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick chaired the fifth hearing of the bipartisan Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing last week.
The hearing focused on the success of current U.S. efforts to stop the financing of terror.
“From the Middle East to South America to United States financial institutions, the threats posed by an evolving sphere of terror syndicates require a robust response, both internationally and domestically. While the United States has significant tools at its disposal to degrade and inhibit terrorist financing and money laundering, it is unclear to what extent such tools have been effectively utilized,” Fitzpatrick said. “This task force has clearly sounded the alarm of the threat posed by self-financing terrorist organizations and must ensure every option is considered in the U.S. response to this danger.”
Louise Shelley, founder and director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at George Mason University, said, “Terrorists make substantial money by controlling supply chains for delivery of their products, such as drugs, as well as by taxing the smuggling of others that pass through borders or territory that they control. The ability to tax the transit of commodities is one key to their financing. Organized crime groups’ extortion of trade has been known for a significant period, which is why they are so deeply involved in ports and the trucking industry. Yet terrorist groups on many different continents also profit from exploiting supply chains and taxing trade. This insight has not merited sufficient attention from the counter-terrorism community.”
The hearing was the final one scheduled for the task force before its six-month authorization expires. The Financial Services Committee may ask to reauthorize the group after reviewing its work, or, if not, the task force will prepare a final report with its findings and any recommendations for policy adjustments to U.S. anti-terror financing efforts.
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In other news, Fitzpatrick is proposing legislation to protect Americans from 9/11-style terror attacks by requiring the installation of secondary cockpit barriers on most commercial aircraft.
The Saracini Aviation Safety Act [H.R. 911] mandates inexpensive, lightweight wire-mesh gates to be installed between the passenger cabin and the cockpit door that would block access to the flight deck whenever the cockpit door is opened during flight. The legislation is named in honor of pilot Capt. Victor J. Saracini, who was killed when terrorists hijacked United Flight 175 on Sept. 11, 2001. Saracini’s widow, Ellen, is a Bucks County resident and leading advocate on the issue since her husband’s death.
“Since 2001, there have been at least 43 hijacking attempts around the world, five of which were successful,” Fitzpatrick said. “We know the threat to our nation from foreign terror groups or lone wolf actors continues to exist onboard our nation’s aircraft, yet we’re not taking steps to stop them by installing secondary barriers. The bipartisan Saracini Aviation Safety Act is a common-sense, cost-effective approach to protecting the flight deck on commercial airplanes and provides a life-saving line of defense for pilots, flight attendants and passengers. I’m grateful to have Rep. (Steve) Israel join me in pushing for this vital update and the continued effort to protect Americans from terror.”
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Fitzpatrick released the following statement regarding last week’s announcement that Penndel-based Langhorne Carpet Company is weaving and will donate three custom carpets to be used during the visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia on Sept. 26 and 27:
“Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia this month is a historic opportunity for our region and the millions of faithful who will attend the 2015 World Meeting of Families. I am delighted that a Bucks County family-owned small business like Langhorne Carpet Company will play a part in welcoming the pope and provide a local connection to this momentous event. Congratulations to the Morrow Family and all those involved with this amazing project.”
Based on Langhorne Carpet Company’s original “Medallion of Hope” design, the 75-foot by 9-foot carpet will be rolled out and used during the pope’s arrival and departure at Atlantic Aviation. The other two room accent carpets will be used inside the rectory of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
The airport carpet, presented in cardinal red and gothic gold, features the decorative medallion border inspired by a section of the Cathedral Basilica’s stained glass windows. It requires nearly 191,000 yards of yarn (more than 100 miles) and will consist of more than 1 million individual woven loops. The carpets in the Cathedral rectory will feature the same signature medallion motif with the repeating six-inch diameter medallions.
Fitzpatrick is serving his fourth and final term in the House of Representatives.
