Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Sunday blasted Senate Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., for pushing a Wednesday deadline to start debate on a crucial infrastructure bill, warning a rush could end in “programmed failure.”
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Cassidy said both Senate leadership and the White House have to work with Republicans on the final package.
“Unless you want programmed failure… Schumer doesn't want this to happen, you need a little bit more time to get it right,” he said.
But Cassidy said he’s hopeful a package can be worked out.
“It can absolutely happen but you need to pay for it,” he said, adding: “If we get to pay for, we can pass this. That leads to the second issue, we need Senate leadership, Schumer, and the White House to work with us.”
“Right now I can tell you that they are not,” he declared.
“If you want to have it actually a bipartisan bill that the American people strongly approve of, then cooperate a little bit, we can get this done, we just need a little help,” he added.
Cassidy said he “absolutely” rejects the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social spending package.
“The $1.2 trillion infrastructure [package] is over 5-8 years depending on what aspects the American people universally want,” Cassidy said. “Spending is … on the back end, it won't worsen inflation, it will create jobs. That is very different than what is being offered with the $3.5 trillion [package], which even Larry Summers, a left of center economist Democrat says an overheating economy is problematic. So I think our $1.2 trillion [package] is where the American people want us to be.”
According to Cassidy, getting paid-for items “right” is crucial.
“That's where we need the cooperation from the White House and from Schumer's office,” he said. “If we get those, this spending is over 5-8 years. …I think it's something that we can do.”
“The other spending, which is going to fuel inflation… [Democrats] are going to transform our economy back to where it was in the '70s where inflation was so high it ate away middle-class families' savings,” he added.
“So we can separate those,” he said. “One is good for the United States, one is good for the American people, the other is fueling inflation.”
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Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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