Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s (R-PA01) claim of being a political moderate veered sharply to the right on Tuesday when he, along with 98% of the Republican caucus, voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with no credible evidence. The GOP-led impeachment failed.
“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that Brian Fitzpatrick voted to impeach Secretary Mayorkas, in a blatantly partisan power grab without any intention to address border and immigration policies,” said Ashley Ehasz, the Democratic contender for the PA01 congressional seat in the upcoming 2024 election. “This is yet another example of the chaos of a Republican House Majority. We need our country’s leadership to protect our borders, stand with our allies, and quit playing partisan games.”
Fitzpatrick criticized Mayorkas for failing to stem the flow of illegal immigration at our border yet, in almost the same breath, criticized lawmakers for dismissing new legislation that would usher in some of the most sweeping immigration reforms in decades, in a statement on Tuesday.
“When our country is facing numerous challenges on the national security front both at home and abroad, it is totally unacceptable that House leadership and a group of ‘Always say No’ Senators deemed the bipartisan Senate border security bill dead on arrival before even reading the bill,” said Fitzpatrick, who called for elected officials to “rise above partisan gamesmanship and come together to solve problems for the American people.”
LISTEN: Immigrant Solidarity from Bucks County to the Border, with Sue-Ann DiVito
Calling it a “truly breathtaking piece of hypocrisy,” Jill Zipin, Chair of Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania, noted the Congressman’s call for lawmakers to “rise above partisan gamesmanship and come together to solve problems for the American people.”
“Yet Fitzpatrick voted with the MAGA Republicans to impeach Mayorkas in the absence of any credible evidence that he has committed an impeachable offense,” Zipin added.
Kierstyn Zolfo of Indivisible Bucks County said that this is just another example of Fitzpatrick “exacerbating problems, not solving them.”
“Fitzpatrick claims he is bipartisan, but instead of standing up for solutions, he is participating in a meaningless media circus,” added Zolfo. “We deserve better than this mockery of leadership.”
Even California Republican Rep. Tom McClintock, who voted against it, admitted that the articles of impeachment “fail(ed) to identify an impeachable crime that Mayorkas has committed,” something that didn’t concern Bucks County Republican Fitzpatrick. Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck, wrote in a column for The Hill that “principles matter,” which is why he voted who also voted ‘No’
The attempted impeachment by House Republicans, and the blocking of a new bill addressing immigration by Senate Republicans, are seen as components of Donald Trump’s strategy to maintain support from his base as the 2024 Presidential election approaches.
READ: How Immigrant Rights Action Is Serving Bucks County’s Immigrant Community
“Trump always looks to foster chaos, but immigration is especially vital to his political strategy — it was the polarizing issue that powered his political rise in 2015 and remains a driving force of his political movement,” said CNN analyst Stephen Collinson.
“Brian Fitzpatrick continues to flaunt his true partisan colors with yesterday’s failed impeachment vote,” said Laura Rose of Indivisible Bucks County. “The Republican leaders of this Do-Nothing Congress have shown once again they are incapable of either effective leadership or counting votes, and yet Congressman Fitzpatrick follows right behind the MAGA extremists, ignoring the desires of the community he represents.”
