Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick scored a seat for President Joe Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night.
The three-term Republican from Middletown Township announced that he was selected to attend the event via a statement posted to social media.
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“I look forward to attending tonight’s joint session of Congress. It is my hope that President Biden will address critical issues concerning border security, bipartisan infrastructure, combatting Russian aggression, and containing the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. As the Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, I believe Republicans and Democrats alike should take this opportunity to begin to meaningfully work across the aisle and put politics aside for the good of our Nation. To do this, the President must strike a unifying, bipartisan tone and demonstrate a genuine willingness, both in words and in actions, to come to the center and support genuine, bipartisan solutions,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.
Due to COVID-19, Biden’s first major address before the two other branches of government will be limited to 200 people, cutting down attendance for lawmakers, U.S. Supreme Court justices, and cabinet secretaries. NPR reported a normal presidential joint address before Congress often brings in more than 1,600 people. The Hill noted there will be no designated survivor because some members of the line of succession will not be in attendance due to the limited seating.
Lawmakers are not allowed to bring a guest this year, which has been common in the past.
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Fitzpatrick is co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and brands himself a moderate member of the Republican party. While Fitzpatrick did not vote for Donald Trump in 2016, he said he voted for him last year and received a phone endorsement from Trump in the final stretch of the 2020 election.
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