In the race for Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District, Democrats are trying to play the “John Kerry” card against incumbent Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
The Bucks County Republican was one of just two House members of his party to vote against President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” — “OB3,” as some are calling it — which passed the House in a narrow 218-214 vote last week. Every Democrat in Congress voted against it.
Now, Fitzpatrick, who is regularly ranked as the most bipartisan member of the U.S. House, is facing criticism from both sides of the aisle for his vote.
Blowback from MAGA Republicans is simple to understand given their loyalty to Trump. But the attack coming from Fitzpatrick’s likely Democrat opponent in next year’s midterm election is more complicated.
Democrat County Commissioner Bob Harvie Jr. took to social media to say that Fitzpatrick voted for the bill before he voted against it. The attack echoes criticism of 2004 Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who attempted to explain his vote against $87 billion in military aid for operations in Iraq by claiming, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.”
In this case, Harvie is attacking Fitzpatrick for supporting the House version of the OB3 bill, then voting against the final version passed by the U.S. Senate.
“Make no mistake: Brian Fitzpatrick was the deciding vote in the House to move Trump’s disastrous budget bill forward. He owns that vote, and he cannot put the genie back in the bottle,” Harvie said.
The difference, Fitzpatrick explained to his constituents, is that the Senate version removed parts of the bill he believed were important to his district.
“I voted to strengthen Medicaid protections and increase Medicaid spending, to permanently extend middle-class tax cuts, for enhanced small business tax relief, and for historic investments in our border security and our military. However, it was the Senate’s amendments to Medicaid, in addition to several other Senate provisions, that altered the analysis for our PA-1 community,” Fitzpatrick said.
“The original House language was written in a way that protected our community; the Senate amendments fell short of our standard. I believe in, and will always fight for, policies that are thoughtful, compassionate, and good for our community. It is this standard that will always guide my legislative decisions.”
While Democratic attacks may not be effective, Fitzpatrick has certainly upset some members of his own party.
Andy Meehan, who ran against Fitzpatrick in the 2020 GOP primary, said Fitzpatrick is “untrustworthy.”
“The list of his transgressions against the truth and what is right under our constitution is the stuff of D.C. Establishment RINO legend,” Meehan said in a lengthy Facebook post.
“Bucks County Republicans are thoroughly disappointed at yet another overt betrayal of Republican values and President Trump’s agenda by Congressman Fitzpatrick,” said Mona Chipman, a Buckingham resident. “Disappointed, but not surprised. The factual analysis of Fitzpatrick’s no vote reveals the minuscule percentage of constituents in PA-1 who could possibly be affected by being cut from Medicaid benefits, less than .015 percent, of their own doing.”
Republican consultant Charlie Gerow said Fitzpatrick’s vote makes it more likely the five-term incumbent will face a GOP primary opponent next year.
“I’m assuming that he will be primaried. He always has to walk a tightrope, but it seems he’s learning a little to the wrong side,” said Gerow. “I’m honestly not sure that this vote will really help him that much in (the general election).
Other local residents were more willing to give Fitzpatrick a pass.
For example, Falls Township resident Jim Thompson said he’d heard that Trump had permitted Fitzpatrick to vote against it, knowing that he’s one of the few Republicans representing a district carried by Vice President Kamala Harris last year.
Chris Pack with Defending America PAC, a group supporting Fitzpatrick, defended the congressman.
“Brian Fitzpatrick has once again demonstrated why he continues to be named the most bipartisan member of Congress year after year — because he always votes in a way that’s best for his district. It’s also why he keeps winning a seat for Republicans in a district carried by Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton,” said Pack.
“Bob Harvie has spent weeks b***hing and moaning with no solutions of his own, wrongly predicting how Fitzpatrick would vote. Instead of obsessing over the most bipartisan member of Congress, maybe Harvie should explain why he’s 100 percent aligned with the far-left extremists in the Democrat Party who are hellbent on trying to destroy Pennsylvania and America as we know it.”