“Pennsylvanians deserve a representative who won’t say one thing in the district and do another in Washington. Unfortunately, that’s been Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s standard practice since coming to Congress: saying one thing when the cameras are rolling, then voting his party’s line when it matters most. As a fifth generation Pennsylvanian, Christina Finello will fight for families in Bucks and Montgomery counties, regardless of their political party.” – DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos
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To: Interested Parties
From: Courtney Rice, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 3, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Brian Fitzpatrick
Despite what Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick would like voters in the 1st District to think, he isn’t the moderate he claims to be. Fitzpatrick votes with Washington Republicans on the issues that matter most, including the GOP tax scam that left middle class families out to dry, and refusing to uphold the rule of law and hold powerful interests accountable.
In this election, Fitzpatrick will find himself automatically tied to Trump and Washington Republicans’ disastrous record of prioritizing the wealthy above the middle class and stripping away health care – even in the midst of a pandemic. Fitzpatrick can try and run away from those facts but, at the end of the day, he can’t escape the “R” next to his name in a district that has shifted away from Republicans in recent years. As one of three Republicans running in a Clinton-won district, Fitzpatrick has demographics working against him.
Christina Finello doesn’t just talk about the issues that matter most to Bucks and Montgomery counties, she’s lived them. From worrying about losing insurance when she was pregnant to seeing her parents work multiple jobs to make ends meet before getting a union job, she’ll fight to make sure that families never have to worry that they’ll play second fiddle to the desires of a political party in Washington.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Fitzpatrick… has shifted closer to Trump in recent weeks, greeting Air Force One when it arrived for the president’s trip to Allentown last week, embracing proposed legislation to hold China responsible for the coronavirus pandemic, and spending $21,602 of his $1.7 million in campaign cash on 50 Fox News commercials for the final stretch.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 05/21/20]
“Fitzpatrick… is considered one of the more at-risk House Republicans this November, with Inside Elections putting him in the ‘tilt Republican’ column.” [Roll Call, 05/18/20]
“Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick refuses to defend President Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine, but the Pennsylvania Republican did not vote to impeach him.” [Washington Post, 12/18/19]
“The two-term congressman eked out a narrow win in 2018 over an unseasoned opponent in a suburban Philadelphia district that has long trended Republican but has in recent years started to turn. Democrats swept local elections this year in vote-rich Bucks County, which makes up the largest share of the district. National Democrats see it as an opportunity to pick up a seat…” [Washington Post, 12/18/19]
Fake Moderate Brian Fitzpatrick
FITZPATRICK DOESN’T STAND UP TO HIS PARTY AND TRUMP WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
In district, Congressman Fitzpatrick claims he’s a moderate who is willing to hold powerful interests accountable, but his record in Washington tells a different story. Fitzpatrick often brags about his time in the FBI working in Kiev as part of an anti-corruption push, but his handling of President Trump’s impeachment reveals his true colors: he’s nothing more than a partisan hack. Fitzpatrick voted against a resolution authorizing public hearings in the inquiry that many argued was necessary for transparency and voted for delaying the impeachment vote before the debate had even started.
Even before those public hearings had begun, Fitzpatrick had skipped the majority of the closed-door impeachment hearings – in total, he’d eventually miss twelve of the seventeen overall, not even bothering to show up and do his job. Ultimately, Fitzpatrick voted against impeaching the president on both counts – rendering moot his previous statements against corruption and calls for accountability.
AS SWAMPY AS IT GETS: FITZPATRICK TAKES MONEY FROM SPECIAL INTERESTS, THEN VOTES IN THEIR FAVOR
Over his career, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has taken more money from Washington Republicans than any other industry and nearly half a million in contributions from Wall Street, so, it’s no surprise that he’s voted for their agenda in DC. Fitzpatrick voted for the GOP tax bill that served as a giveaway to big corporations and the wealthiest few – including many of his donors – at the expense of the middle class, saying he had a “very positive” view of the legislation.
Big Pharma also benefited heavily from this legislation: four companies saved over $7 billion in 2018 thanks to Republicans. That’s not all – this legislation repealed the individual mandate, which the CBO has estimated would result in 13 million less Americans having health insurance. Fitzpatrick has continued to spin falsehoods about the effects of his tax scam, praising big corporations for raising wages when, in fact, working Americans had nothing to show for it.
Fitzpatrick also voted against legislation that supported an end to the corrupting influence of dark money in politics, not to mention raking in $35,000 in donations from pharmaceutical companies, including several who have been sued for their role in the opioid crisis.
PATH TO VICTORY
This affluent, suburban district located in the Philadelphia suburbs is dramatically shifting toward Democrats, and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick now finds himself one of only three Republicans running for reelection in a Clinton-won district. Last November’s election results illustrate the district’s shift to the left. Bucks County, which makes up the vast majority of the district at 89.3%, saw its County Board of Commissioners – which had been in Republican control since 1988 – flip to Democratic control. Democrats also swept the county’s four “row offices” (county-wide offices other than commissioner) up for election, building on gains from 2017. Before 2017, Democrats hadn’t won a single row office in over 30 years.
In 2018, Senator Casey won the 1st District with 57.7% of the major party vote and Governor Wolf won with 59.9%, while Democratic House candidate Scott Wallace came within less than three points of unseating Fitzpatrick. With a presidential election at the top of the ticket, Fitzpatrick can expect his newfound ally, President Trump, to drag him down in the district he’s running to represent.
Having grown up in Lower Bucks, in a family that had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, Christina Finello has experienced the struggles many families in the district face. Her grounding in the district, coupled with the district’s leftward lurch, make this an exciting pickup opportunity for Democrats in November.
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