Pennsylvania’s Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is the lone Pa. GOP vote against the ‘big, beautiful bill’
Fitzpatrick, a moderate from Bucks County, was one of two Republicans in the House to vote against the measure.
House Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic spending and tax policy package Thursday — without the help of one Pennsylvania member: U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick, a moderate who represents Bucks County, joined another Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.), and all Democrats in voting against the bill on final passage. He had also opposed a procedural vote late Wednesday, signaling his opposition to the legislation. The bill, which passed the House 218-214, now heads to Trump’s desk for signing.
In a statement, Fitzpatrick said the Senate’s amendments to Medicaid prompted his change of heart. He had voted for the House version of the bill in May, which passed by just one vote.
“The original House language was written in a way that protected our community; the Senate amendments fell short of our standard,” he said in a statement. “I believe in, and will always fight for, policies that are thoughtful, compassionate, and good for our community.”
Fitzpatrick’s vote against the bill surprised many Republican colleagues, as he had not publicly expressed doubt or concern about it, and was not being actively lobbied by GOP leadership.
Pennsylvania’s nine other Republican members of Congress voted in support of the bill, which is expected to become a major target of attack in the 2026 midterm elections.
The bill re-ups Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increases defense, energy production, and border security spending, and reduces federal spending on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. It is projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to increase the deficit by $3.3 trillion.
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Asked on Thursday morning about Fitzpatrick’s initial “no” vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson described Fitzpatrick as having “a number of things he’s concerned about.”
“I’ll let everybody vote their conscience,” Johnson (R., La.) told reporters in an interview posted by News Nation. “I’ve certainly tried to encourage him to get to yes. … It doesn’t change anything about his effectiveness as a member or our relationship, he’s a good friend.”
After his first no vote, Fitzpatrick quickly left the floor, according to NBC News’ Melanie Zanona, who also reported he did not attend a meeting with Trump at the White House about the bill a day earlier.
Fitzpatrick is a more private lawmaker with his internal deliberations. And he has voted against Trump and the GOP, on occasion, in the past.
He has also had long-simmering frustrations with Trump over the administration’s policies regarding Ukraine as it defends itself in the war with Russia.
Hours before the initial vote on Wednesday, Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent who was stationed in Ukraine, sent a letter to Trump about reports that the U.S. was withholding defense materials already promised to Kyiv.
“Mr. President, Ukrainian soldiers and pilots are not just protecting their homeland — they are holding the line for the entire democratic world,” he wrote. “This is a defining moment.”
The heat has also been on Fitzpatrick over cuts in the so-called “big beautiful bill” to Medicaid and SNAP. Constituents staged a “die-in” at his Langhorne office the day before the vote.
According to projections from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office, 10,000 people stand to lose Medicaid and about 2,000 stand to lose SNAP benefits in Bucks County under the changes to the program. (On Wednesday, Shapiro called out each Republican House member, including Fitzpatrick, on social media, sharing the state’s projections of how many people in their district would lose benefits.)
While some constituents pointed to Fitzpatrick’s vote Thursday as a sign their protestations had worked, Democrats were quick to blast him for initially supporting the first version of the bill, which is now likely to become law. “Reminder: Brian Fitzpatrick could have killed this bill back in May,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Eli Cousin wrote on X.
At the time, Fitzpatrick defended his vote, noting that a “red line” for him would be making changes to parts of the bill dealing with “the energy, workforce, and health portions of the bill so we can strengthen SNAP and Medicaid solvency for the long-term and ensure access for the most vulnerable that truly need assistance.”
His “no” vote Thursday immediately sparked primary election chatter from Trump faithfuls.
Scott Presler, a GOP grassroots organizer and MAGA influencer, posted on X:
“Yes, I am aware that Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA01) voted NO to the Big Beautiful Bill. Message received.”
Fitzpatrick will be running for his sixth two-year term in 2026 to represent purple Bucks County. The DCCC announced earlier this year that it is targeting Fitzpatrick’s seat, along with three other Pennsylvania congressional districts, in hopes of flipping them from red to blue.
Fitzpatrick faced a more conservative primary challenger, antiabortion activist Mark Houck, last year, and defeated him by 23 points.