Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., accused President Joe Biden of not paying attention to "good-faith," bipartisan efforts on infrastructure while Democrats force their progressive policies on the U.S.
Scott made his remarks in a column posted by USA Today on Tuesday.
"There should be debate over what commonsense, common-defined infrastructure looks like," he said. "As I said in my response to (Biden's) joint address to Congress, Republicans support everything you think of when you think of "infrastructure." Roads, bridges, ports, airports, waterways, high-speed broadband – we're all in.
"This administration has been ignoring good-faith, bipartisan efforts. Democrats have tried to slip in numerous partisan, progressive policies, including increasing the corporate tax rate to one of the highest percentages in the world. This would only disadvantage hardworking Americans and hike up inflation. Six percent of Biden's plan goes to roads and bridges.. Where does the other 94% go? To a liberal wish list of Big Government waste, funded by the biggest job-killing tax hikes in a generation."
Scott maintained Republicans are not the only ones who oppose "this waste."
In fact, one of the only bipartisan parts of this conversation is the opposition to President Biden's 'infrastructure' bill," he said. "Both of my colleagues from West Virginia – Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, and Joe Manchin, a Democrat – have vocally opposed the proposal, the so-called American Jobs Plan, or parts of it."
Scott rejected the notion that Republican lawmakers have not "proposed commonsense, common-ground alternatives."
"Led by Sen.(Shelly Moore) Capito, we have proposed an alternative bill that sharpens the focus on infrastructure priorities," he said.
"Republicans have continuously come to the table to work with this administration, but what good do these conversations produce if President Biden and congressional Democrats will circumvent the will of half the nation to push through this Trojan horse of progressive policies? We've seen them do it once with the "COVID relief bill," and we may see them do it again here."
In an interview on April 23, Capito said the Republicans' $568 billion counteroffer to Biden's $2.25 trillion infrastructure plan is a "very sincere" proposal that provides money to address true core infrastructure needs across the country that the American people want lawmakers to handle.
"I think we need to look at defining infrastructure, which is critically important in terms of putting forward a viable offer," the West Virginia Republican said on Fox News' "America Reports."
And she added: "The physical infrastructure, what I keep coming to as the core infrastructure of our country, these are issues that we have worked together (on) time and time again across the aisle. I think it is a great offer to the president."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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