One of the houses Republicans Who helped Democratic Party Through the president Joe BidenThe bipartisan infrastructure bill stated that he voted for the plan to increase his chances of re-election.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarty warned members of the caucus not to defect and urged Republicans to vote against the bill, which will help Biden achieve key elements of his domestic agenda.
Despite this, 13 House Republicans broke with their parties and voted for the $1 trillion infrastructure plan, which was basically approved by the party line with a 228-206 vote late Friday. . Due to the resistance of six progressive lawmakers, this legislation would not succeed without the support of the Republican Party.
Representative Don Bacon, a member of the Problem Solver Caucus, a group of bipartisan legislators who helped negotiate the bill, explained that his decision to pass the bill was based on the right to vote. calculate.
“I helped draft this bill. It’s inappropriate to flip it. It won’t be correct,” the Nebraska Republican told Axios. “You vote in one way, maybe you will be hurt in the primary election. You vote in another way…in my area, it will hurt my general.”
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Bacon was one of eight Republican defectors who participated in the negotiating team for the bill. The other four people—Adam Kinsinger in Illinois, Don Young in Alaska, David McKinley in West Virginia, and Jeff Van Drew in New Jersey—appear to oppose their party and embark on supporting infrastructure Funding is higher than the traditional Republican line of partisan politics.
Nicole Malliotakis, another defector and a freshman House Republican from New York, said she supports Biden’s bill. Weaken the so-called “squad” It also obstructed Biden’s gradual efforts to push for a larger social spending bill, the “Rebuild Better Act.”
“I weakened their power. They have no chips now,” Maliotakis told Axios. “I voted against [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] And the team tonight. “
Ocasio-Cortez of New York and five other progressive House Democrats refused to support the infrastructure bill to ensure Senate The Democrats will support larger spending bills. Most progressives threatened to cancel the infrastructure bill unless it was passed along with the “Rebuild Better Act,” but some dropped their promises and voted on a partisan line on Friday night.
Republicans who voted for the bill are facing strong opposition from their far-right Republican colleagues, and some have called for their expulsion from the party.
“Every Republican who voted for the infrastructure bill must be eliminated from the party,” Florida Representative Anthony Sabbatini wrote on Twitter.
Representative of North Carolina Madison Cawthorne Added: “Vote for this infrastructure bill and I will exclude you.”
Weekly newspaper Contact Bacon’s office for comments.
