What I am hearing as I speak with voters across Bucks and Montgomery counties is that some women are split on whether they should vote for a candidate who is perceived as better on the economy (typically a Republican) or a candidate who will stand up for their right to reproductive healthcare (a Democrat). I believe that voters should not be forced to choose one priority over the other, and in PA-01, our Representative Brian Fitzpatrick continues to fail his constituents on both of these critical issues.
This summer, as the oil and gas industry reported record profits and capitalized on rising inflation to jack up prices at the pump, Brian Fitzpatrick voted against a bill to go after these companies for price gouging and harming the working families of Bucks and Montgomery counties. As costs rose, he voted against helping those in need.
Last year, small businesses cried out for economic relief and the economy was trying to recover from the pandemic. These small businesses, and the country, needed help. Brian Fitzpatrick responded by voting against billions of dollars in economic relief, including $28.5 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, as part of the American Rescue Plan. He voted against the plan that economists agree saved American businesses, kept more than 3.7 million children out of poverty, and significantly lowered unemployment. Just two months ago, he voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices and will reduce the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and working families.
When it comes to protecting the rights of women, Fitzpatrick again has failed his community at every opportunity. In his first year in office, Congressman Fitzpatrick voted for H.R. 36, a 20-week abortion ban that is designed to criminalize doctors, and would have forced a woman to go through the deeply painful process of carrying a non-viable pregnancy to term. Then he voted twice against the Women’s Health Protection Act (2021, 2022) , which would have codified the tenets of Roe vs. Wade into federal law, and ensured equal access to reproductive care, regardless of your home state. His second “No” vote came only three weeks after the Dobbs decision, when he was fully aware that women across PA-01 and around the country were in serious jeopardy of losing access to critical healthcare.
Furthermore, we know that access to reproductive care is itself an economic issue. The majority of women who receive abortions are those who are low-income and are already parents. Women and their families should be able to make their own decisions on when and how to grow their families, and not have the government make that decision for them. In PA-01, the majority of those living below the poverty line are women under 35, and Fitzpatrick is not representing or protecting them with his votes in Congress. His record on choice is dangerous, and is harmful to the autonomy of women.
Brian Fitzpatrick has demonstrated that when push comes to shove, he will side with his wealthy donors and special interests over the interests of working people, including small businesses, women, and everyone who fills up at a pump. I will not do that.
I believe that we need to tackle the widening gap between paychecks and costs, and get inflation under control. I believe that companies who use this moment to drive up costs purely for profit should be punished, and our small businesses must be supported. I will never back down from the fight to protect reproductive freedoms. In Congress, I will proudly cast my vote to codify Roe vs. Wade, and ensure that access to contraceptives and other critical forms of care are protected.
This November, voters of PA-01 do not have to choose between a candidate who will fight to protect their wallets or their freedoms. They can vote for me, a candidate who will do both.
Ashley Ehasz is a West Point graduate, combat veteran, and candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's First District. She lives in Bensalem.