Though Pennsylvanians stand to benefit in a big way from President Biden and congressional Democrats’ bipartisan infrastructure deal, which is set to pass in the U.S. Senate this week, Pennsylvania’s GOP Senate candidates have aggressively slammed the proposal and the underlying bipartisan dealmaking:
- GOP primary fundraising leader Kathy Barnette yesterday slammed Republicans who are backing the bipartisan deal. And on August 2, she criticized the plan itself, writing on Twitter, “Americans need a genuine infrastructure plan not this […] Disgraceful.”
- Sean Parnell has made clear his opposition to the bipartisan deal, saying, “Republicans should toughen up” and “walk from this deal.” And Parnell earlier today reiterated his belief that the bipartisan deal is a “total scam.”
- Carla Sands last week praised Sen. Bill Hagerty for criticizing the bipartisan plan and using his position in the Senate to slow down and delay the bill’s passage, implying that she would be a vote against the measure and adding, “Let’s stop this administration in 2022.”
- Jeff Bartos has slammed the bill as “wasteful, political pork,” despite its focus on hard infrastructure and clear benefits for communities across Pennsylvania.
As reported last week by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pennsylvania stands to benefits significantly from the GOP Senate candidate-opposed deal, with the state set to receive, among other priorities, “an additional $11.3 billion in federal highway funding, $1.6 billion for bridge replacement,” and “at least $100 million to expand broadband coverage across the state, an amount that would provide access to at least 394,000 Pennsylvanians who currently lack service.”
And it isn’t just these Pennsylvania candidates who care more about playing politics than securing benefits for workers and families across their state. “In intraparty contests throughout the country, Republican candidates are lining up against the bipartisan deal,” as CNN highlighted last week.
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Published: Aug 9, 2021