Brian Fitzpatrick (American politician)

Brian Kevin Fitzpatrick (born December 17, 1973) is an American politician who is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as the representative for Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district since 2017. The district, numbered as the 8th district during his first term, includes all of Bucks County, a mostly suburban county north of Philadelphia, as well as a sliver of Montgomery County.

Brian Fitzpatrick
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byMike Fitzpatrick
Constituency8th district (2017–2019)
1st district (2019–present)
Personal details
Born
Brian Kevin Fitzpatrick

(1973-12-17) December 17, 1973
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
RelativesMike Fitzpatrick (brother)
EducationLa Salle University (BS)
Pennsylvania State University (MBA)
Pennsylvania State University, Carlisle (JD)
WebsiteHouse website

A former FBI agent, he was elected in 2016 and took office on January 3, 2017. He was re-elected on November 6, 2018, to the newly redrawn 1st district.

Early life and education

Born in Philadelphia and raised in nearby Levittown, Pennsylvania, Fitzpatrick graduated from Bishop Egan High School in Fairless Hills in 1992.[1][2] He graduated from La Salle University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. In 2001, Fitzpatrick completed both a Master of Business Administration at Pennsylvania State University and a Juris Doctor at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law.[3][1]

Career

Republican Fitzpatrick is a former Special Assistant United States Attorney and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) supervisory special agent in California. At the FBI, he served as a national supervisor for the Bureau's Public Corruption Unit, and led the agency's Campaign Finance and Election Crimes Enforcement program. During his time in the FBI, he spent time in Kyiv, Ukraine, Mosul, Iraq and Washington, D.C.[3] He was embedded with U.S. Special Forces as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

U.S. House of Representatives

2016

In 2016, Fitzpatrick ran for the open U.S. House of Representatives seat of his brother Mike Fitzpatrick, who retired from Congress to uphold a promise to limit himself to four terms.[4][5]

In the April 26, 2016, Republican primary, Fitzpatrick received 78.4% of the vote, defeating Andy Warren and Marc Duome. Meanwhile, Steve Santarsiero defeated Shaughnessy Naughton for the Democratic nomination, 59.8% to 40.2%. In the general election, Fitzpatrick received 54.4% of the vote, while Santarsiero received 45.6%.[6]

2018

After a court-ordered redistricting, Fitzpatrick's district was renumbered as the 1st district. It remained largely unchanged from the old 8th, but absorbed a larger slice of central Montgomery County. According to Nate Cohn of The New York Times, "the old 8th had been one of the more regularly drawn districts in a map that had been thrown out as an unconstitutional partisan Republican gerrymander.[7] The new 1st was slightly more Democratic than its predecessor. Had it existed in 2016, Hillary Clinton would have carried it with 49 percent of the vote to Donald Trump's 47 percent.[8] In contrast, Clinton and Trump finished almost tied in the old 8th, with Trump winning by 0.2 percentage points."[9]

In the Republican primary on May 15, 2018, he defeated Dean Malik by a margin of 68.85% to 31.15%. In the Democratic primary, Scott Wallace won with 55.97% of the vote, defeating Rachel Reddick, who tallied 35.85%, and Steve Bacher, who brought in 8.18%.[10] In the general election, Fitzpatrick defeated Democratic nominee Scott Wallace by a margin of 51.3% to 48.7%. He carried Bucks County by 12,000 votes, more than his overall margin of 8,300 votes.[11] Fitzpatrick thus became one of only three Republican U.S. Representatives to survive during the 2018 U.S. House elections in congressional districts that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton carried in 2016, along with Congressmen John Katko (R-NY) and Will Hurd (R-TX).[12]

Tenure

In the first session of the 115th United States Congress, Fitzpatrick was ranked the third most bipartisan member of the House of Representatives by the Bipartisan Index, a metric created by the Lugar Center and Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy to assess congressional bipartisanship.[13] GovTrack noted that Fitzpatrick introduced the most bills among freshman Representatives, and, of the 274 bills he cosponsored, 35% were introduced by a non-Republican legislator.[14]

On February 4, 2021, Fitzpatrick joined 10 other Republican House members voting with all voting Democrats to strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of her House Education and Labor Committee, and House Budget Committee assignments in response to controversial political statements she had made.[15]

Taxes

In December 2017, Fitzpatrick voted in favor of the Republicans' tax overhaul bill in a party-line vote.[16]

Climate change

At a September 2018 forum hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center and The Hill, Fitzpatrick highlighted man-made climate change as a serious issue. He stated that Republicans must "acknowledge reality and don't deny it." He is a member of the bipartisan congressional Climate Solutions Caucus and cointroduced the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2018,[17][18] which would impose a carbon tax with net revenue returned to households as a rebate.[19] He did not sponsor the 2019 version of the bill.

Immigration

In 2017, Fitzpatrick was critical of President Obama's executive order establishing the DACA program, but said the immigration system was broken. In a 2018 debate, Fitzpatrick said that he supported a path to citizenship for DREAMers, but that "any immigration reform package has to deal with border security."[20][21] In 2019, he voted for the American Dream and Promise Act, which included no new border security measures.[22][23]

Fitzpatrick opposed President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries. He stated that "the president's policy entirely misses the mark."[24]

President Donald Trump

Fitzpatrick voted against the impeachment of then-President Donald Trump on December 18, 2019 and again on January 13, 2021. Although Fitzpatrick was endorsed by the Philadelphia Inquirer in the lead up to the November 3, 2020 election, the newspaper all but condemned its endorsement following his vote against impeachment, stating that "while we can’t undo our recent endorsement of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, we are deeply disappointed that instead of showing political courage, he chose party over principle and country." [25]

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2021, the Bucks County Courier Times ran an opinion piece stating "Congressman Fitzpatrick is in a difficult spot politically. He must placate his moderate base and fend off the radical wealthy Trump supporters who fund his campaign. He has truly made a pact with the devil." [26]

In July 2019, Fitzpatrick was one of four Republican House members to vote in support of a motion to condemn remarks by President Trump made on Twitter calling on "'Progressive' Democrat[ic] Congresswomen who originally came from countries" that are described as failing to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."[27][28]

Russia

In a 2018 debate, Fitzpatrick said that Russia held "by and large, sinister motives", noting that while he was stationed in Ukraine, twice Russia attempted to knock out the nation's electrical grids through cyber attacks.[20]

In July 2018, Fitzpatrick said that President Trump had been "manipulated" by Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the Helsinki Summit. Fitzpatrick said he was "frankly sickened by the exchange" between Trump and Putin. He criticized the "mixed signals" that the Trump administration was sending regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.[29]

In April 2018, Fitzpatrick said that President Trump should stop attacking the FBI and allow Robert Mueller to complete his investigation, stating it was improper to "judge an institution based on the actions of a few bad actors."[30]

Health care

Fitzpatrick opposed the American Health Care Act, a bill to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In a statement, Fitzpatrick said, "After considering the current healthcare bill in a thorough and deliberate manner, I have concluded that, although the American Health Care Act focuses on several much-needed reforms to our healthcare system, in its current form I cannot support this legislation".[31] Fitzpatrick joined many of his Republican colleagues as well as every congressional Democrat in an effort to oppose the bill.

On May 4, 2017, Fitzpatrick also voted against the second attempt to pass the American Health Care Act. In a statement, he said, "We saw what happened when healthcare reform – an issue impacting 1/5 of our economy – was rushed through Congress along extremely partisan lines in 2009," referring to the ACA in 2010.[32] On December 12, he took part in the Democratic bill to lower drug costs. [33]

Narcotics trafficking

Fitzpatrick sponsored the International Narcotics Trafficking Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming Contraband with Technology (INTERDICT) Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in January 2018. The law directs $15 million to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to expand screening for fentanyl and opioids at the U.S. border.[34]

Gerrymandering

In September 2017, Fitzpatrick urged the U.S. Supreme Court to limit extreme partisan gerrymandering in the Gill v. Whitford case. He stressed that partisan redistricting had undermined the Founding Father's vision of the House of Representatives remaining the voice of the people.[35]

He was the only Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania who did not take part in a February 2018 lawsuit challenging a new district map drawn by Democrats. He explained that he opposes the drawing of congressional districts by elected officials of either party, saying instead that they should be drawn by independent, nonpartisan citizen panels.[36]

LGBT rights

Fitzpatrick supports same-sex marriage.[37] In 2019, he co-sponsored legislation to extend the Civil Rights Act protections to people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.[38] In 2019, he voted for the Equality Act, granting protections to LGBT-identifying adults and minors and repealing Title IX.[39][40]

Term limits and congressional perks

In April 2018, Fitzpatrick led a bipartisan group of freshmen House members in an Oval Office meeting at which they discussed with President Trump a proposed constitutional amendment imposing congressional term limits.[41]

In May 2018, Fitzpatrick and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) introduced H.R. 5946, the Fostering Accountability, Integrity, Trust, and Honor (FAITH) in Congress Act, that would "end certain special perks reserved for Members of Congress, enact a lifetime ban preventing former Members of Congress from becoming lobbyists, and withhold Members' paychecks if they fail to pass a budget on time."[42]

Gun policy

In 2018, Fitzpatrick was the only Republican to receive an endorsement from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the gun control organization founded by former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Fitzpatrick voted to expand background checks and to restrict assault weapon sales. He voted against a bill that would require states to recognize concealed-carry permits issued by other states.[43]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

References
  1. "Fitzpatrick, Brian K. (1973- )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  2. Tamari, Jonathan (January 22, 2016). "Fitzpatrick's brother aims to succeed him in U.S. House". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  3. "Brian Fitzpatrick announces candidacy for Congress in Pennsylvania's 8th District". BucksLocalNews.com. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  4. "PA-8: Report: Fitzpatrick's Brother to Seek Seat". PoliticsPA.com. 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  5. Tamari, Jonathan (2016-01-21). "Rep. Fitzpatrick's brother will run to replace him". Philly.com. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  6. "Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District election, 2016 - Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  7. Cohn, Nate (February 19, 2018). "The New Pennsylvania Congressional Map, District by District". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  8. Presidential results by congressional district for districts used in 2018, from Daily Kos
  9. Presidential results by congressional district for districts used in 2016, from Daily Kos
  10. "Brian Fitzpatrick - Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  11. "Pennsylvania Election Results: First House District". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  12. Hohmann, James. "The Daily 202: Late gains in California vindicate DCCC's intervention in House primaries". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  13. "Full List: Where Every House Member Stands on Impeachment Against Trump". The New York Times. December 18, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  14. "Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick's 2017 Report Card". Washington, D.C.: GovTrack. January 6, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  15. Clare Foran, Daniella Diaz and Annie Grayer. "House votes to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee assignments". CNN. CNN. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  16. Almukhtar, Sarah. "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  17. "90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members". Citizen's Climate Lobby. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  18. "Republican Congressman Urges Colleagues to Act on Climate Change - Eos". Eos. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  19. "CLIMATE: Carbon tax backers grapple with 'Green New Deal'". www.eenews.net. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  20. Benshoff, Laura; Bucks Republicans clash over Russia, immigration in congressional debate; Whyy; May 2, 2018; https://whyy.org/articles/bucks-republicans-clash-over-russia-immigration-in-congressional-debate/
  21. Boyle, james; Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania lawmakers call for legislative DACA solution; The Intelligence; September 5, 2017; http://www.theintell.com/a84a0884-924b-11e7-8edd-d3f86181ed08.html
  22. http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2019&rollnumber=240
  23. Sonmez, Felicia. "House passes immigration bill to protect 'dreamers,' offer a path to citizenship". The Washington Post.
  24. Timmons, Heather. "The short (but growing) list of Republican lawmakers who are publicly condemning Trump's "Muslim ban"". Quartz. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  25. The Inquirer Editorial Board (14 January 2021). "Brian Fitzpatrick's infuriating 'no' vote on impeachment shows a total lack of political courage". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  26. Grothman, Michael (20 January 2021). "Fitzpatrick, you're on the wrong side of history". Bucks County Courier Times. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  27. Sonmez, Felicia; DeBonis, Mike (July 14, 2019). "Trump tells four liberal congresswomen to 'go back' to their countries, prompting Pelosi to defend them". The Washington Post.
  28. LeBlanc, Paul (July 16, 2019). "Here are the 4 Republicans who voted to condemn Trump's racist tweets". CNN.com.
  29. "GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick: 'The President Was Manipulated By Vladimir Putin'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  30. O'Malley, James; Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to Donald Trump: 'Stop attacking the FBI'; Bucks County Courier Times; April 10, 2018; http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/20180410/rep-brian-fitzpatrick-to-donald-trump-stop-attacking-fbi
  31. "U.S. Rep. Fitzpatrick: 'I cannot support' Republican health care plan". PhillyVoice. 2017-03-19. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  32. "Bucks County Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick votes against American Health Care Act". The Advance of Bucks County.
  33. Pallone, Frank (September 8, 2020). "H.R.3 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act". www.congress.gov.
  34. Boyle, James (January 10, 2018). "Trump signs Brian Fitzpatrick's fentanyl screening bill". Bucks County Courier Times. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  35. Fitzpatrick-Led Brief Pushes Supreme Court on Redistricting Reform; Highbeam; September 6, 2017; https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-503574984.html Archived 2018-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
  36. Otterbein, Holly; This Republican is bucking his party in the fight over Pa.'s new congressional map; The Inquirer; February 27, 2018; http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/rep-brian-fitzpatrick-fighting-gerrymandering-pennsylvania-20180227.html?arc404=true
  37. "Fitzpatrick says character and experience will win him 8th District seat, not family name". WHYY. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  38. "Congressional Democrats, GOP moderates look to enshrine LGBTQ legal protections". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  39. http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2019&rollnumber=217
  40. Rambaran, Vandana. "House passes sweeping legislation to expand LGBTQ civil rights but GOP lawmakers worry it may threaten the rights of women".
  41. O'Malley, James; Fitzpatrick talks term limits with Trump; The Times; April 26, 2018; http://www.timesonline.com/news/20180426/fitzpatrick-talks-term-limits-with-trump
  42. Powers, Scott; Stephanie Murphy sponsors 'congressional accountability' bill; Florida Politics; May 24, 2018; http://floridapolitics.com/archives/264498-stephanie-murphy-sponsors-congressional-accountability-bill
  43. Voght, Kara (July 6, 2018). "A Top Gun Control Group Just Endorsed a Republican Gun Rights Defender". Mother Jones. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  44. "Mixed Bag of Republicans Vote Against Obamacare Repeal Vehicle". Roll Call. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  45. "Committees and Caucuses". Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Mike Fitzpatrick		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district
2017–2019		 Succeeded by
Matt Cartwright
Preceded by
Bob Brady		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district
2019–present		 Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Drew Ferguson		 United States Representatives by seniority
265th		 Succeeded by
Matt Gaetz
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