NPR’s Ailsa Chang talks with Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick about his decision to join Democrats and three other Republicans to vote to end the war in Iran.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
A bipartisan majority in the House voted on Wednesday to end the war with Iran. The move is seen as the clearest rebuke of President Trump’s actions in the Middle East after three months of war have further destabilized the region and sent oil prices soaring. The War Powers Resolution passed by a vote of 215 to 208, with four Republicans joining Democrats in support. One of those Republicans is Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who joins us now. Welcome.
BRIAN FITZPATRICK: Thanks for having me.
CHANG: So why did you vote in support of this measure?
FITZPATRICK: Simply put, to follow the law. There’s a statute on the books. It’s the War Powers Act of 1973. It says a number of things. The two most critical are the 48-hour notification period, which did occur. And the second is, within 60 days of hostilities, that the matter be approved by Congress, either through an AUMF, an Authorized Use of Military Force, a Declaration of War. We are past that 60-day mark, so I made very, very clear to the White House and to House leadership that I would be enforcing the law. You know, unless the Supreme Court declares that statute unconstitutional, or unless there’s a change in the law, we have to follow the law as it’s currently written. So that’s what I did. For every War Powers Resolution that has been brought to the floor after that 60-day period, I’ve supported.
CHANG: Well, on Truth Social today – I’m sure you saw this – President Trump called yesterday’s vote, quote, “meaningless.” And then he called the four Republicans out. He said that the four Republicans who supported the resolution were, quote, “bad” and added, they’re grandstanders. They should be ashamed of themselves. How do you respond to the president there?
FITZPATRICK: Well, everybody’s entitled to their opinion. I don’t take any offense to any criticism. You know, I have a job to do. I think it’s very, very important for every representative to remember who your bosses are. We do not report to any person or any party here in Washington, D.C. We report to the people back home, the people in our districts who vote for us, who sent us here and who we represent. It’s very, very important for every representative to never, ever lose sight of that.
I come from Pennsylvania’s 1st District. It’s Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania. It’s a very, very independent-minded group of individuals, great people that I’m proud to represent, and they want independent representation. They want their representative to follow the law and to follow the Constitution and not be intimidated by criticism or politics. So that’s what I’ve done in this instance and in every other instance.
CHANG: Well, let me ask you, because President Trump has also criticized this vote, saying that, look, he’s in the middle of negotiations with Iran to end the war. Are you at all concerned that this vote could undermine those talks?
FITZPATRICK: Well, I think following the rule of law is an American strength, right? I mean, that’s what – one of the many reasons why we’re the beacon of freedom around the world. We have to be…
CHANG: Even at the cost of potentially interfering with these negotiations?
FITZPATRICK: Well, how do we…
CHANG: Is that what you’re saying?
FITZPATRICK: How do we justify not following the law, right? I mean, I think that – and by the way, I think it’s important to note, I introduced my own War Powers Resolution, which would have addressed the very issue that you’re raising here. We authored something. It’s bipartisan. We have Democrats and Republicans on board. We introduced it during Operation Epic Fury, a few months back, that would have allowed for a tolling of that 60-day period during legitimate – underscore legitimate – periods of ceasefire and negotiations. And that would have afforded the president – and all future presidents, for that matter – time to negotiate. That legislation was not considered, so we are left with two choices. We either need to follow the law, or we need to change the law. We cannot violate the law.
CHANG: Putting aside the actual law, the administration has been saying that this war is necessary to push back on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. You sit on the House Intelligence Committee. What is the best way to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions, in your mind?
FITZPATRICK: Well, there’s a number of ways, you know, the same way we need to be addressing Russia and any other adversary across the globe. You know, diplomacy is always the first option, economic pressure. There’s a number of tools in the – what we call the IC toolbox – the Intelligence Community toolbox – to preserve world order and world peace. Military action is obviously always the option of last resort. It must be. So I think multiple things can be and are true at once.
Iran was the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. I think that’s been accepted by multiple administrations across party lines throughout our lifetime. They were racing towards a nuclear weapon. You know, whether there were weeks or months, people can debate that point, but they were close. I think we can – you know, everybody who’s in the intelligence community, including myself, know that to be true.
But it’s also true that we are a nation of the rule of law. And our Constitution and the brilliance of our founders set up three separate independent branches of government, each of which is a independent constitutional check on the other. And we have to be true to that system of government. That’s what allowed our country to be what it is.
CHANG: You mentioned that lawmakers need to listen to their bosses, their constituents. But, you know, in a lot of primaries so far, Republican voters have voted out incumbents who have gone against President Trump, right? And I’m curious, what kinds of conversations are you having with your colleagues – if you care to talk a little bit about that – about when is it safe for Republicans to oppose Trump’s policies and when it is politically not safe?
FITZPATRICK: Well, I really reject that conversation to begin with because we have a job to do, and that’s to represent your district. And second, the perspective you take to this job is very important. If you go about your day worried about losing your job, then you’re never going to be good at your job. You can’t be worried about losing it. You have to have a healthy perspective for what this job is. This job is a short-term public service. It is not our title. It is not our office. It is on loan to us by the public for a short, limited period of time.
And if you take the perspective that you’re more worried about your legacy than you are about reelection, you’re going to be much better at your job. You’re going to be much more effective, and you’ll be able to live with yourself at the end of the day, which is far more important than any short-term reward. So that’s what I urge of all of my colleagues. You know, I lead the two-party group in Congress, the Problem Solvers. We’re the only bipartisan group in Congress. So I talk to everybody. I talk to all my colleagues, and I always, you know, preach these virtues.
CHANG: Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, thank you very much.
FITZPATRICK: You bet, thanks.
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