Patrick Murphy

Patrick Murphy previously represented the 8th Congressional district of Pennsylvania

Patrick J. Murphy, a Democrat, is a former U.S. Representative for the 8th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, having served 2007 to 2011.

Record and controversies

General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's articles on legislation. You can add information you find on how Patrick Murphy voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to cite your sources!

Iraq War

After the first Iraq supplemental spending bill, which included a deadline for troop withdrawal from Iraq, passed the House by a vote of 218-212, Rep. Murphy, who served in the Iraq War, stated, "We answered the call that so many families here in America were asking our Congress to do...No longer is this Congress going to stand idly by and watch our brave and heroic men and women go to referee a religious civil war."

Main article: U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007 (H.R.1591)

For more information see the chart of U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War.

Biography

Murphy was born in 1973 in Philadelphia. After attending Bucks County Community College, he enrolled at King's College, in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he became a cadet in the U.S. Army ROTC and a captain of the hockey team and student body president. After graduating in 1993 with a double major, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army. [1]

Murphy attended law school at the Widener University in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He then worked in the office of the district attorney of Philadelphia, and later as a leader in the Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic, a legal aid society serving the poor. He also served as the legislative aide to Thomas Tangretti, a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Westmoreland County. Murphy has taught American politics and government at Mount Saint Mary's University and constitutional law at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), and has also lectured at the U.S. Air Force Academy, the International Institute for Humanitarian Rights in Sanremo, Italy, and at Widener.[2]

After teaching at West Point, Murphy deployed overseas twice, serving in Bosnia (2002) and in Baghdad during the Iraq War (2003-2004). While in Baghdad as a paratrooper with the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division, Murphy worked to reconstruct the justice system and helped prosecute Sheik Moyad, a lieutenant of Muqtada al-Sadr. Murphy earned the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq. [3]

In 2006, Murphy married Jennifer Stafford.

Congressional career

2006 election

Murphy defeated Republican Rep. Michael G. Fitzpatrick by 1,500 votes to take possession of the seat in the 2006 congressional elections.[4]

2010 election

In 2010, Murphy lost to Republican Michael G. Fitzpatrick, the same person Murphy had ousted back in 2006.

Money in politics

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00027594&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

Links to more campaign contribution information for Patrick Murphy from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org site.
Fundraising profile:	2006 election cycle	Career totals
Top contributors by organization/corporation:	2006 election cycle	Career totals
Top contributors by industry:	2006 election cycle	Career totals

• Revolving door profile for Patrick Murphy from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.
• 2006 privately funded travel profile for Patrick Murphy from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.
• Personal finance profile for Patrick Murphy from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.

Committees and affiliations

Committees

• House Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
• House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Committees in the 109th Congress

• House Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel

Articles and resources

Resources

• Patrick Murphy for Congress, official campaign site.

Local blogs and discussion sites

• A Smoke-Filled Room Blogspot.
• Above Average Jane Blog.
• Suburban Guerrilla, Susie Madrak's blog.
• The Liberal Doomsayer Blogspot.
• Young Philly Politics.

Articles

Corresponding article on Wikipedia and Cause Caller. (If Cause Caller link does not work, pick from its list of senators and representatives.)

Current Office: {{{Current Office}}}
111th Congress
Leadership Position: {{{111th Leadership}}}	Committees Chaired: {{{111th Committee Chairs}}}	Committees, Ranking Member On: {{{111th Committee Ranking Member}}}	Caucuses: {{{111th Caucuses}}}
Committees: {{{111th Committee Membership}}}
110th Congress
Leadership Position: None	Committees Chaired: {{{110th Committee Chairs}}}	Committees, Ranking Member On: {{{110th Committee Ranking Member}}}	Caucuses: {{{110th Caucuses}}}
Committees: House Committee on Armed Services, House Committee on Armed Services/Subcommittee on Military Personnel, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence/Subcommittee on Terrorism Human Intelligence Analysis and Counterintelligence, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence/Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence/Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence
Congressional Career
First Elected to Current Office: November 7, 2006	First Took Current Office: January 4, 2007	Next Election: November 2, 2010	Term Ends:
Freshman Member? No	Previous Political Work? US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York	Other Party Membership:
District Offices:
1. {{{District Office 1 Address}}} Phone: {{{District Office 1 Phone}}} / Fax: {{{District Office 1 Fax}}}
Campaign Contact:
Website: {{{Campaign Homepage}}} Webform Email: {{{Campaign E-mail Link}}} / Email: {{{Campaign E-mail}}} Campaign Offices: 1. {{{Campaign Office 1 Address}}} Phone: {{{Campaign Office 1 Phone}}} / Fax: {{{Campaign Office 1 Fax}}}
Zip Code Affiliations:
Misc:
Date of Birth: October 19, 1973