Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
Brian Fitzpatrick walked away from his “dream job” working for the FBI to run as a Republican in the Eighth District Congressional race.
Fitzpatrick, a 42-year-old Levittown native, said he retired from his FBI career because he felt now was the time to run to congress and try to make a difference in Washington D.C.
With just seven years from full retirement, Fitzpatrick decided to step down from a federal law enforcement career that had taken around the globe. From Iraq to California, Fitzpatrick had seen it all during his career with the FBI.
Fitzpatrick, a resident of Middletown, said he feels being in congress with more than 400 other representatives of the people is a place he can make positive change, something he believes the country needs.
“I’m not someone who thinks everything needs a label,” Fitzpatrick said. He added that he is willing to work with both Republican and Democrats to make progress in Washington D.C.
Fitzpatrick has stated that he wants to increase job training programs, reduce the national debt and keep national security a key focus. He realizes that the economy is a key issue for local residents.
The former FBI special agent who also is a CPA said last week that the federal budget should be balanced every year and should be zero-based. He added that a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget might be needed.
After his career tackling public corruption and terrorism, Fitzpatrick brings a lot of national security know-how to the table. The former lawman who served in New York City and Iraq as part of terrorism investigations, kept tabs on corruption and misuse of taxpayer funds in New York City, California and Washington D.C. and even used his skills as a lawyer to prosecute several federal cases in Virginia and the Philadelphia region.
“I can’t imagine a better perspective to take to congress,” Fitzpatrick said during a recent interview at the Garden of Eatin restaurant on Woodbourne Road in Middletown. The Fitzpatrick family are regulars at the eatery.
Framing himself as a “problem solver” with experience in leadership, Fitzpatrick has made meeting the voters and hearing their concerns a focal point in his campaign. Instead of spending money on a series of 30 second TV and radio advertisements, the campaign released a several-minute-long interview with Fitzpatrick that takes place as he drives around the Eighth Congressional District.
Fitzpatrick’s brother, Mike, is currently the Republican congressman serving the district. He said his brother is a great advisor, and he learns as much as he can when he’s around him.
This campaign season, Fitzpatrick said he is working with millennials to look at the problems their generation will face as they get older. He said his campaign has formed a special task force to focus on issues for those born from 1981 to 1996.
Some of the major issues discussed by millennials include reproductive rights and legalization of marijuana.
Fitzpatrick said he is personally pro-life and feels that taxpayers should not foot the bill for abortions. However, he noted he feels strongly about funding organizations that support women’s health.
Marijuana intended for medical purposes is fine with Fitzpatrick but he said his career in law enforcement has molded his perspective that recreational marijuana should remain off-limits. On that note, Fitzpatrick said he believes the issue is one for the states and not for the federal government.
“I’m not a fan of recreational use and that is based on my experience,” he said. “We’ve seen [marijuana] can be a gateway to other drugs.”
Locally, Fitzpatrick, a resident of Middletown, said he is concerned about the Elcon hazardous waste treatment facility planned for Falls.
“I’m very concerned about it. I think it’s a mistake to have a waste treatment facility so close to the river that supplies drinking water,” he said.
When asked about allegations that federal law might have been violated in the weeks leading up to Fitzpatrick’s formal entrance into the election, he shook his head and called the claims “ridiculous” and “1,000 percent made up.”
At last week’s Republican debate, candidate Dr. Marc Duome brought up the allegations. Fitzpatrick said it was something he didn’t feel even deserved a response.
He said the claims are just part of a political narrative that opponents on both sides of the isle are trying to push.
Early in the election, Democrats created a parody site that hit Fitzpatrick on his time outside the district. The site noted the fact that Fitzpatrick served with the FBI in California leading up to his announcement that he was running for congress to represent Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County.
Fitzpatrick defended himself by stating he has only lived outside the district for six of his 42 years. He said the few years spent outside the district were in service of his country with the FBI.
“This is my home and I saw an opportunity where I can serve.”
