National Republicans are celebrating projects funded by a $1.2 trillion bill, even after voting against it and calling it a socialist scheme and a fiasco.
POLITICO reported that Republicans are even taking credit for the federal funding in hopes of winning more votes.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill was passed by Congress and signed into law in November 2021. It resulted from a deal struck by Senate negotiators and was supported by only 13 House GOP lawmakers.
Those 13 Republicans received backlash from former President Donald Trump, who said they should be “ashamed of themselves” and that he would support their primary challengers.
Now, the Republicans who voted against the bill are enjoying its benefits and taking credit for it.
“Since House Republicans have no record of accomplishments, they are trying to falsely take credit for ones that aren’t theirs,” said Viet Shelton, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “This is exactly the sort of hypocritical behavior that the public hates, and the DCCC will be sure to remind voters of Republicans’ do-nothing agenda between now and November.”
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said the bill was a “fiasco” and a “socialist wish list.” However, her district will receive $34 million from the bill and has celebrated the funding for a public transit project in her district.
Nearly $479 million will be invested in Iowa’s 1st District, represented by Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and she celebrated.
“We all agree that the country is in a dire need of a clean transportation bill that addresses failing infrastructure. The bill would have had large bipartisan support had Republicans been allowed to be engaged in the process and if it was not vastly overloaded with pet projects,” she told POLITICO.
“I will always fight to ethically bring federal dollars back to my district,” she concluded.
The Biden administration also allocated $1.1 billion to Rep. David Valadao’s (R-Calif) district as part of a federal nuclear energy fund. The money will be invested in California’s last remaining nuclear power plant. He said it was an “all-of-the-above approach to energy production and use, including nuclear,” that he touted as “lowering costs, creating jobs, and strengthening our national security.”
As more Republicans see the bill’s benefits, they’re to take credit for it, and now only time will tell if their efforts will give them more votes.
