Republicans are decrying calls from Democrats to speed up the spending from President Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure package as a cynical ploy to bolster vulnerable incumbents ahead of what is likely to be a rough midterm election for the Democratic Party.
House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio argues that ramping up spending is needed to prevent Republicans from trying to claw back infrastructure money if they wind up in the majority next year.
“I’m worried what will happen if the House and Senate change,” the Oregon Democrat recently told the American Public Transportation Association. “In the short term, this year, we just got to get as much of that money dedicated as possible.”
Claiming the GOP has an “innate hostility” toward more spending, Mr. DeFazio has been lobbying White House infrastructure czar Mitch Landrieu and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to push more money out the door.
GOP lawmakers, including those on the House Transportation Committee, say the push to ramp up infrastructure spending is brazenly political and could disadvantage rural communities that may not be ready to use the money compared to large cities and metropolitan areas.
“I think they’re less worried about what Republicans are going to do when we take the majority,” said Rep. Rodney Davis, Illinois Republican. “It’s more about loading up infrastructure dollars on the front end to give Democratic members of Congress some wins to go back home and talk about so that they can try and keep the majority.”
Republicans note there has been little discussion of clawing back any infrastructure money. They say that such concerns raised by Democrats, especially Mr. DeFazio, amount to little more than “fearmongering.”
“As the ranking member of highways and transit subcommittee, I haven’t had someone come up and chat with us about it. I don’t know where Chairman Fazio is getting this,” said Mr. Davis. “It may just be fearmongering on his part to try and scare the administration to front-load these dollars.”
Mr. DeFazio, himself, has admitted opening the spigot on infrastructure money “could be helpful electorally,” but contends his concerns are purely about what a future GOP Congress might do.
Democrats note that several programs within the infrastructure package are subject to the appropriations process. That means that Congress will have to approve new money designated for certain projects in the future, including $29 billion for transit systems.
“Unfortunately, some … of the money for transit is subject to appropriations,” Mr. DeFazio said.
The push by Democrats comes as the party faces a turbulent political environment heading into the midterms. Inflation has soared nearly 8% in the past year, eating away at Americans’ paychecks, while crime has skyrocketed across urban and suburban communities alike.
Abroad, meanwhile, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has scrambled global energy markets, pushing prices ever higher. Coupled with the lingering fallout from the collapse of Afghanistan, the outbreak of war in Eastern Europe has Americans increasingly uncomfortable with Mr. Biden’s stewardship of the country.
In a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday, the president’s approval rating dropped to an all-time low. Overall, 40% of Americans say they approve of the job Mr. Biden is doing in the White House, while 54% disapprove.
Similarly, Republicans have continuously led Democrats on the generic congressional ballot since last November.
Given the political headwinds, Democrats are focusing less on the politics of Washington and choosing instead to stress their ability to bring money home for constituents.
“There are going to be a lot of ribbon cuttings for bridges, airports and even water-purification projects,” said Brad Bannon, a Democratic political strategist. “It’s a great opportunity for Democratic incumbents, especially those who are in vulnerable districts, to show that they were able to get something done in Washington, D.C., despite a lot of Republican opposition.”
GOP lawmakers say the push to ramp up infrastructure spending is meant to complement that strategy.
“I think this is all 100% about politics right now for the Democratic majority,” Mr. Davis said.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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