Lone GOP Senator Declines to Accelerate Passing of 'Flawed' Infrastructure Bill

On Friday, former US President Donald Trump urged House and Senate Republicans "to think twice" before approving what he described as a "terrible" infrastructure bill, which has, however, already cleared the 60 votes needed to shun a filibuster.

Republican Senator Bill Hagerty from Tennessee has refused to sign off on the passage of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, calling for a full-blown and "robust" debate on the 2,700-page legislation.

Senators earlier voted 67-27 to limit debate on the legislation, and Hagerty currently remains the lone Republican declining to speed up the voting process.

My statement on what happened tonight in the #Senate around the infrastructure bill: pic.twitter.com/tutkJXmdT8

— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) August 6, 2021

The senator insisted that he is not "slowing the bill down" but instead wants the legislation to go through the "normal process" of discussion.

The remarks came after Hagerty tweeted that "Tennesseans will support a bill that actually invests in hard infrastructure and does not add to the deficit, [but] this legislation does neither".

He promised that he would "vote no on this procedural vote to end debate".

Trump Warns Republicans Not to Support Infrastructure Bill

This followed former US President Donald Trump calling on House and Senate Republicans to vehemently oppose the infrastructure bill, which he called a "disgrace".

Trump bashed GOP lawmakers planning to support the deal as RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) and specifically targeted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over his willingness to back the legislation instead of fighting it using "debt ceiling" limits.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks following a bipartisan meeting with U.S. senators about the proposed framework for the infrastructure bill, at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2021.

© REUTERS / Kevin Lamarque

"Whether it's the House or the Senate, think twice before you approve this terrible deal. Republicans should wait until after the midterms when they will gain all the strength they'll need to make a good deal", Trump said.

The same tone was struck by Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who described the bill as "a trap" and "just another avenue for the Democrats to raise taxes and raise spending".

The comments were preceded by reports that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is piling pressure on lawmakers to finalise and pass the legislation.

"We very much want to finish this important bill. We can get this done the easy way or the hard way", Schumer noted.

The bipartisan bill on infrastructure stipulates $550 billion in new spending on physical infrastructure that includes $110 billion for roads, bridges, and major projects, as well as $39 billion for public transit and $66 billion for railways.

The document also envisages $65 billion for broadband infrastructure deployment and $55 billion for clean water investments. The proposal would be financed through unspent COVID-19 relief funds, targeted corporate user fees, and strengthened tax enforcement regarding cryptocurrencies, according to the White House.