Last week — after many months of failed federal negotiations that were stalled and did not move forward — Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally took Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill onto the House floor for a vote. It succeeded, with the aid of GOP members of Congress who gave Pelosi and Joe Biden the ability to say the $1.2 trillion liberal spending legislation was actually a bipartisan achievement.
13 Republicans voted in favor of the $1.2 trillion “infrastructure” bill while 6 Democrats voted against it. The vote was 228-206. Had the Republicans stood unanimously against the bill, six Democrat defections would have defeated it.
— Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) November 6, 2021
The Republicans who went across the aisle to vote “yes” with Pelosi on Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan are Congress-members Fitzpatrick (PA), Bacon (NE), Garbarino (NY), Katko (NY), Gonzalez (OH), Kinzinger (IL), McKinley (WV), Malliotakis (NY), Smith (NJ), Reed (NY), Upton (MI), Young (AK), and Van Drew (NJ).
Six Democrats voted against the infrastructure bill. But these 13 Republicans gave Speaker Pelosi the votes she needed for passage. Interesting times in DC. pic.twitter.com/KO2u8pemTy
— Raymond Arroyo (@RaymondArroyo) November 6, 2021
Now these members’ move — Which The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board has reported as a “Republican Rescue Operation For Biden’s Agenda” — might lead them to be stripped of their committee assignments if the GOP conference’s rank-and-file get their way.
Making the problem seemingly more stark, even the radical leftist “squad” members did not vote for the bill, meaning thirteen GOP members voted for a Democrat bill that people like Ilhan Omar, AOC and Rashida Tlaib would not vote for.
Six Democrats who voted against the bill: Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman.
— Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) November 6, 2021
Of course these Squad members voted no because they believe their voices were not included in the negotiations and the infrastructure law was not far-left enough, but it is still not a wonderful look for Republicans.
According to news outlet Punchbowl News, “Republican leadership is bracing” for GOP members who oppose Joe Biden’s agenda who signaled their plan to strip committee assignments from the people who voted “yes,” including top members.
NEW in @PunchbowlNews AM — House GOP leadership is bracing for a movement to strip lawmakers who voted for infrastrucutre of their committee slots.
Much of the anger is at @RepJohnKatko, who voted early bc he saw Banks and other Rs on TV dumping all over the bill pic.twitter.com/Jo45SlZeZP
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 9, 2021
“A lot of Republican lawmakers were angered by the fact that several of their GOP colleagues voted early for the infrastructure program, helping Dems reach the majority number needed on a crucial piece of President Biden’s legislative goals and undermined their own party’s strategy,” said Punchbowl News.
This comes at a time when Republicans are becoming increasingly aware of their own party’s incompetence at preventing Joe Biden’s agenda. With the infrastructure bill being only one of many instances where the new Democratic president was allowed to pass legislation that could have been blocked by Republicans, but wasn’t.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
