Rep. Ted Budd: Democrats I talked to were 'ashen' over failed infrastructure vote

 

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North Carolina Republican says measure dedicates just a fraction of its $1.2 trillion toward roads and bridges

Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told "Fox Report" he found a few "ashen" Democrats in the House elevators following the failure to vote on President Biden's infrastructure plan, which he called a "Trojan horse."

The infrastructure measure passed the Senate in August, but the House hasn't had as much luck, facing infighting between progressives and moderates over Biden's massive $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package. The far-left wing of the Democratic caucus, which is in favor of the spending package, refused to back the former without agreement on the latter. 

Budd called the infrastructure bill "a Trojan horse to get us more socialism," suggesting Biden had misled when he campaigned as a moderate during the 2020 presidential election.  

"And Joe Biden is fully onboard even to the point of taking the $1.2 trillion bill yesterday so that he can even more quickly get to the $3.5 trillion Bernie Sanders level of spending," the North Carolina Republican said.

Budd said the infrastructure plan may have been advertised as bipartisan, but "only 10% of the 1.2 trillion" of the $110 billion would be funneled toward roads and bridges. Reports show that the measure includes a sizable amount of money for environmental provisions such as $5 billion for electric cars for the federal government fleet, $50 million for community climate incentive grants, and $1 billion for an "electrical vehicle charging equity program."

Budd also blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the delayed vote for failing to keep an earlier pledge she made to moderate Democrats. He knew firsthand how upset Democrats were when they realized the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill had been shelved for the moment, he shared.

"She didn't even keep her promise to them," Budd said. "So, I mean, this is just total disarray. I was talking with Democrats in the elevator yesterday in Washington, and they were ashen. I mean, they were stunned at Joe Biden coming in there and taking their own bill."

One of those moderates, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who along with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has been the target of left-leaning media and her progressive colleagues for her opposition to Biden's $3.5 trillion spending package, also sounded off on the House's infrastructure faux pas.

"The failure of the U.S. House to hold a vote on theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is inexcusable and deeply disappointing for communities across our country," Sinema said in a statement. "Denying Americans millions of good-paying jobs, safer roads, cleaner water, more reliable electricity, and better broadband-only hurts everyday families." 

She added that the House's behavior "erodes" the trust of the American people.

"Democratic leaders are letting the radical left run Capitol Hill," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a similarly scathing statement.