Fitzpatrick 1 of 5 Republicans to vote for gun control measures in House

Bucks County Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick broke ranks with the majority in the Republican Party on Wednesday, becoming one of only five GOP members to vote with Democrats to approve gun control legislation.

He is the only one of the five who is running for re-election, the Washington Post reported. Fitzpatrick said he thought that information was accurate.

The House voted 223-204 to support the bill, called the "Protecting Our Kids Act', which would prohibit the sale or transfer of semiautomatic firearms to anyone under age 21; establish new federal criminal offenses for gun trafficking; establish a regulatory framework for ghost guns that don't have serial numbers, as well as establish regulations for the residential storage of firearms and prohibit the import, sale, manufacture and possession of large capacity ammunition feeding device, according to Congress.gov.

Fitzpatrick, who represents the 1st Congressional District including all of Bucks and a sliver of Montgomery County, issued a statement late Wednesday that he voted for the bill because it is "a necessary step to incentivize the Senate to finally advance a bipartisan proposal that will address the legislative component of school and community safety, once and for all.

"Let me be clear: I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and all the protections that it entails. I also believe that we have no higher responsibility as leaders, no higher responsibility as human beings than to protect our children and to keep our community safe. These are not and must not be mutually exclusive concepts," Fitzpatrick stated.

He later added that he voted for the bill because "it's never hard to do the right thing" and that he's gotten "overwhelmingly positive feedback from our constituents.

"Our community wants a representative who is independent-minded, who thinks for themselves and who represents the entire district. Our community does not want a partisan cult follower of the far left or far right. They want bridge builders, not wedge drivers."

The bill now heads to the Senate where a bipartisan group of senators is trying to persuade more Republicans to support its measures or similar legislation to try to control the murderous violence that claims the lives of Americans each day. The bill was proposed by Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York in the wake of the murder of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, as well as the killing of 10 people in a Buffalo, New York, store 10 days earlier. Both shooters were identified as 18-year-old men. The shooter in the Texas mass shooting was killed while the assailant in New York was arrested.

In his statement, Fitzpatrick said that there are three components that need to be addressed to solve the issue of gun violence in America: taking legislative action, addressing mental health problems and enhancing physical security. He urged Senate colleagues to "rise to the challenge so that we can protect both our constitutional rights and our community's safety. "I am working actively with the Senate on both these goals. We can and must accomplish both," he said.

Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, is seeking his fourth term in Congress and is facing Democratic opponent Ashley Ehasz, a West Point graduate. Ehasz could not be reached for comment immediately Thursday morning.

But she has been clear on her stance on the need for stricter gun laws, attending protests in the district and speaking out against the NRA.

"I fought for this country and put my life on the line to protect it," said the military veteran on Twitter. "Gun reform saves lives, and complacent politicians put all of us at risk."

On June 6, she challenged Fitzpatrick to support the legislation after another mass shooting in Philadelphia.

"Our neighbors in Philly are hurting right now. The shooting this weekend on South St. was preventable. We need leadership in Congress who will speak out against the NRA and this violence. @repbrianfitz will you speak up? For Buffalo, Uvalde, Philly, or anyone who may be next?," she tweeted.

The gun control issue now moves to the Senate where support from 10 Republican Senators is needed for legislation to be passed.

Republicans pointed out that a U.S. appeals court ruled last month that California's ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to adults under age 21 was unconstitutional. Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey is one of six Republicans negotiating for gun controls but he is retiring at the end of his term. The other five who are participating in negotiations do not face re-election concerns until 2026.

On Thursday, CEOs from 220 U.S. companies, including the Philadelphia Eagles, were set to send the Senate a letter urging action on gun control. They pointed out that more than 110 people are shot and killed and 200 others are injured in gun-related incidents. They said it represented a public health crisis.

"We urge the Senate to take immediate action. Gun violence can be prevented," the letter, first reported by Axios, states. "Our families, our communities and our places of business are depending on you...Transcend partisanship and work together to pass bold legislation to address gun violence in our country."

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Fitzpatrick one of only 5 Republicans to vote for gun-control in House