Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick stated he has no intention of seeking the position of U.S. House speaker.
The suggestion of Fitzpatrick as a potential candidate for the role came from Rep. Vincente Gonzalez Jr., a Democrat from Texas, according to a Tuesday social media post by Texas Tribune’s Matthew Choi.
“Same answer I gave to house leadership back in January when I was asked — that I prefer to represent my hometown in Bucks County. It’s the first and only office I will ever run for,” Fitzpatrick told Phillyburbs.com.
The speaker’s position became available after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, was removed earlier this week in a move initiated by members of his own party.
Fitzpatrick issued a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday that blamed “extremism” from members of his own party on McCarthy’s ouster.
If Fitzpatrick had interest and was appointed to assume the role, his duties would expand considerably. He would receive sensitive national security briefings, work from a more expansive Capitol office, grow his office’s headcount, and have a continuous security detail from the U.S. Capitol Police.
Fitzpatrick identifies as a moderate Republican and is co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
In a rare move by his own party, McCarthy faced a vote of 216-210 that resulted in his removal from the speaker position. Fitzpatrick had supported McCarthy remaining as Speaker.
The two congressmen share a strong bond, with Fitzpatrick backing McCarthy’s bid for the speaker role earlier this year and McCarthy raising funds for Fitzpatrick in the First Congressional District.
