Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick speaking last year.
While some Republicans in Washington D.C. push for an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden, GOP Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has been largely quiet on the matter.
Fitzpatrick, a Middletown Township resident who represents the First Congressional District, hasn’t put out any statements on his party’s efforts to begin the inquiry into the Democratic president.
Reagan McCarthy, Fitzpatrick’s spokesperson, didn’t reply to an email for comment and an attempt to set up an interview with the congressman. However, Fitzpatrick did tell NBC News in August that he felt impeachment was turning into “essentially a vote of no confidence in the British Parliament. And I don’t want to see our country go down that path.”
Fitzpatrick’s comments on the impeachment inquiry are being closely watched, according to The Washington Post and Forbes, because he is one of 18 GOP House of Representatives members who won in a district where Biden beat former President Donald Trump in 2020.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, told reporters last week he was directing his members to begin an impeachment inquiry into Biden, a Pennsylvania native. McCarthy and Fitzpatrick have been close in the past, and the Bucks County-based congressman was one of the key members who rallied for McCarthy to become speaker during his fight to hold the office.
According to reports, McCarthy said Republican committee probes into Biden’s son Hunter’s business dealing “paint a picture of a culture of corruption.” He stated he felt the business dealings meant the House should look into the matter to see if the president was involved.
NPR reported GOP investigators have not yet unearthed evidence the president received a financial benefit from his son’s business dealings. The article noted that based on previous impeachment efforts of other presidents, Republicans risk “potential backlash because of perceived overreach.”
Federal law enforcement has looked into Hunter Biden’s taxes and his business dealings. The son of the president was indicted last week on a gun offense related to lying on paperwork about drug use.
Following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building, Fitzpatrick, a former FBI special agent, said a Trump impeachment would “perpetuate and exacerbate the divide in our country.” Following on his words, Fitzpatrick voted against the impeachment attempts against then-President Donald Trump.
Fitzpatrick didn’t vote for Trump in 2016, but he did vote for him in 2020 and gained his endorsement.
A YouGov and Yahoo News poll recently showed that the majority of Americans believe Hunter Biden profited from his family’s name, but the majority of Americans don’t believe Joe Biden, before he became president, received money from his son’s business dealings as part of a long-running scheme.
See also:
Fitzpatrick Introduces Bill to Designate Sept. 11 as a Federal Holiday
Brian Fitzpatrick Defeats Ashley Ehasz in First Congressional District
Congressman Fitzpatrick Votes on Assault Weapons Ban, Chip Manufacturing & Research Legislation
Congressman Fitzpatrick Votes for Marriage Equality Bill
Congressman Fitzpatrick Votes for Gun Safety Legislation, Calls for Action
