Tension mounts as far-right GOPers blame Republican colleagues for giving 'Joe Biden a win' on infrastructure
House Republicans who voted in favor of President Joe Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill are facing intense scrutiny as some far-right members of the political party see their action as unacceptable.
According to The Washington Post, the intraparty divide following the infrastructure bill continues to grow as Republicans are becoming increasingly frustrated by any members of the party supporting Biden initiatives in any capacity.
The House lawmakers — Reps. Jefferson "Jeff" Van Drew (R-N.J.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), Don Young (R-Alaska), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Andrew R. Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and David B. McKinley (R-W.Va.) — are facing criticism and, in some cases, violent threats for their supporting votes.
On Monday evening, former President Donald Trump added fuel to the fire during his 90-minute speech at a private event in Florida that was hosted by the campaign arm for House Republicans. The former president, who is still obsessed with losing the 2020 presidential election, again touched on his defeat before taking aim at Biden and the 13 House Republican lawmakers who voted in favor of the infrastructure bill.
"I love all the House Republicans. Well, actually I don't love all of you. I don't love the 13 that voted for Biden's infrastructure plan," Trump said, according to one attendee who recalled his remarks.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows also condemned the lawmakers who supported the Biden agenda. According to Meadows, the Republicans who supported Biden's infrastructure deal are not on the side of the political party.
"These people voted for Joe Biden, for an infrastructure bill that will clear the way for more socialist spending that will, quite frankly, gives Joe Biden a win," Meadows said. "I don't know how you can send a clearer message than saying, 'Listen, obviously you're not on our team. We're going to give that leadership position to somebody else.'"
Meadows' and the former president's remarks follow Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) praise of the bill. The top-ranking Republican lawmaker insisted that he was "delighted" about the bipartisan effort. "This will be the first time I've come up here in a quarter of a century when I thought maybe there was a way forward on the Brent Spence Bridge," McConnell said.
Despite the backlash, multiple Republican lawmakers have defended their decision to support the bill. Like McConnell, Katko also offered his perspective.
"Ronald Reagan cut deals all the time with Democrats for the good of the country. That is what we're supposed to do. This isn't a zero-sum game," Katko said Tuesday during an interview with Spectrum News. "There's always going to be people in the cheap seats who are going to be naysayers, but that's the nature of the business. But the bottom line is, we got to move this country forward."
During his recent speech on the House floor, Young also weighed in and shared his reason for supporting the bill.
"This is the last opportunity we have to make sure those potholes are filled, those airports run right, that bridges are safe, and our economy can continue to grow. This is the only chance we have," said Young, who also co-authored an extensive, highway proposal back in 2005. "To my colleagues who are voting no, I'd say: Think about it, what is the other alternative?"
