{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/2026/9/fitzpatrick-takes-edgely-fight-to-congress-with-bipartisan-community-protection-bill", "Fitzpatrick Takes Edgely Fight to Congress with Bipartisan Community Protection Bill", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Brian K. Fitzpatrick", "F000466", "fitzpatrick.house.gov", "fitzpatrick", "https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Legislation born from Fitzpatrick\u2019s work alongside PA-1 residents would strengthen property protections, transparency, and community voice in major federal infrastructure decisions\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), joined by Congressman Don Davis (NC-01), introduced the bipartisan Edgely Community Protection and Transparency Act, legislation shaped directly by the concerns and experiences of residents in Bristol Township\u2019s historic Edgely riverfront community.\n\nThe bill would strengthen transparency and accountability in the federal environmental review process when major infrastructure projects could result in the acquisition of homes or other residential property.\n\nFor months, Fitzpatrick has led a sustained effort alongside Edgely residents and Bristol Township leaders to protect the community as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and New Jersey Turnpike Authority plan the future of the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge. After residents raised serious concerns about the potential consequences for their homes, property rights, and neighborhood, Fitzpatrick moved quickly to bring those concerns directly to the agencies responsible, convene with residents and local leaders, assess potential impacts, and press for every feasible alternative capable of avoiding or minimizing harm to the community to be fully examined.\n\nThat work exposed a clear gap in federal law. Agencies can weigh multiple alternatives for a major infrastructure project without being specifically required to tell residents, in plain terms, how each option could affect their homes and property.\n\nThe Edgely Community Protection and Transparency Act would close that gap\u2014turning what Edgely residents uncovered through this fight into a stronger federal standard for transparency, property rights, and community voice nationwide.\n\n\u201cThis legislation belongs first and foremost to the people of Edgely. Their willingness to speak up, stay engaged, and fight for the neighborhood they love is what brought us to this moment,\u201d said Fitzpatrick. \u201cWhen residents first came to me, I understood immediately that this was about far more than an infrastructure proposal. It was about whether families could remain in their homes, whether private property rights would be respected, and whether a historic community would have a real say in its own future. So we went to work. We brought Edgely\u2019s case directly to the agencies making these decisions, challenged them to consider every viable path forward, and kept pressing for answers wherever the process fell short. In doing so, we found something Congress has the power\u2014and responsibility\u2014to fix: communities facing the potential loss of residential property are not guaranteed a clear comparison of how the alternatives before the government would affect them. This bill changes that. We should never accept a false choice between building the infrastructure our communities need and protecting the communities themselves. We can do both and must do both. I\u2019m grateful to Congressman Don Davis for joining me in this bipartisan effort and helping turn a fight that began in Edgely into meaningful protection for communities nationwide.\u201d\n\n\u201cFamilies and landowners across eastern North Carolina deserve clear information when federal projects could affect their property or livelihoods. The Edgely Community Protection and Transparency Act would provide greater transparency around potential property acquisitions and ensure affected communities have an opportunity to be heard before federal agencies move forward. No one should be kept in the dark about decisions that could affect their homes, farms, businesses, and way of life,\u201d said Davis.\n\n\u201cBristol Township Council is grateful to Congressman Fitzpatrick for listening to our residents and taking their concerns directly to Washington,\u201d said Bristol Township Council President Craig Bowen. \u201cThe families of Edgely deserve to know that every reasonable alternative has been fully considered before decisions are made that could forever change their neighborhood or force residents from their homes. This community has stood together, asked important questions, and made it clear that progress should never come at the expense of transparency or a meaningful public voice. The Edgely Community Protection and Transparency Act takes what our residents have experienced here in Bristol Township and turns it into stronger protections for communities across the country. We appreciate Congressman Fitzpatrick\u2019s continued partnership and his commitment to making sure the people of Edgely are heard throughout this process.\u201d\n\nThe Edgely Community Protection and Transparency Act would:\n\nRequire agencies to identify and compare anticipated property-acquisition impacts of a proposed federal action and every alternative analyzed.\n\nRequire an agency that selects a preferred alternative to state whether that option minimizes property acquisition compared with the other alternatives.\n\nRequire agencies to explain how public comments regarding property acquisition were considered when choosing a preferred alternative.\n\nBackground\n\nThe Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and New Jersey Turnpike Authority, with guidance from the Federal Highway Administration, are evaluating the future of the Delaware River Bridge. Nine replacement alternatives were initially considered before two\u2014the North Partial Impact Alternative and North Staged Alternative\u2014were advanced for further evaluation. In June 2026, the agencies announced the North Partial Impact Alternative as their preferred option while continuing to evaluate the North Staged Alternative.\n\nReviews found that the preferred alternative could impact multiple residential properties. Under current law, however, agencies are not specifically required to disclose and compare the property-acquisition impacts associated with every alternative analyzed in an Environmental Impact Statement\u2014a gap the Edgely Community Protection and Transparency Act is designed to address.\n\nThe agencies are expected to publish a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement examining the engineering and transportation needs and the social, economic, cultural, and environmental impacts of the remaining alternatives. Following public comment and completion of the Final SEIS, the Federal Highway Administration will issue the final Record of Decision\n\nThe legislation marks the latest step in Fitzpatrick\u2019s ongoing work with Edgely residents to protect their homes and property rights, demand transparency and accountability from the agencies involved, and ensure the community has a meaningful voice throughout the process.", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/2026/9/fitzpatrick-takes-edgely-fight-to-congress-with-bipartisan-community-protection-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.20764584466815, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}