Hagerty: Republicans who voted for infrastructure 'put themselves on a path to early retirement'
A House vote on Biden’s expansive social spending bill is expected during the week of Nov. 15
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., on Saturday criticized Republicans who voted in favor of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which passed in the House on Friday night.
The House vote was 228-206, with 13 GOP lawmakers joining Democrats to vote in favor of the legislation and six progressive Democrats voting against the massive spending package.
"It was very surprising to me to see 13 Republicans basically bail Nancy Pelosi out," Hagerty said on Fox News' "CAVUTO Live" Saturday morning. "She did not have the votes within her own party to do this. We had 13 Republicans that decided to step up and help her in this way, and what they did is put themselves on a path to early retirement."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Bill Hagerty, R.-Tenn., on Fox News' "Cavuto" on Nov. 6.
Hagerty added that he believes their votes should be "evaluated in the light of what happened in Virginia," referencing Republican Governor-elect Glen Youngkin's success over Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the state that has voted blue for the past decade.
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"What we saw earlier this week was the American public certainly manifest themself in Virginia, spoke out. They repudiated these policies we’re seeing come from the Democrat Party and what’s happening is exactly what I predicted would happen," the senator said, adding that he expected House Speaker Pelosi to "open the door for this massive big government spending program that they’ve now teed up for later in November."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GOP LAWMAKERS BLAST ‘RINOS’ AFTER HOUSE PASSES $1.2T INFRASTRUCTURE BILL: ‘TIME TO NAME NAMES’
House lawmakers also voted 221-213 on Friday to pass the procedural "rule" for President Biden’s expansive social spending bill, clearing the way for House Democratic leaders to eventually bring the president’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan up for a vote.
The U.S. Capitol building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
"The American public will not want this.," Hagerty said of the social spending legislation. "I’m thinking the consequences are going to be pretty severe for those who have enabled this — and, particularly, these 13 [Republican] House members, after looking at what happened in Virginia just earlier this week — it really does puzzle me."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Tennessee senator went on to criticize extended unemployment benefits, the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and efforts to slow oil production within the U.S.
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The newest "Build Back Better" proposal – pared down from the original $3.5 trillion request – would expand Medicaid, establish universal preschool, provide new funding for child care and offer green energy tax credits, though it notably omits progressive priorities like free community college and Medicare coverage of dental and vision. It relies on $1.95 trillion in new taxes, including a 15% corporate minimum and a surcharge aimed at ultra-millionaires.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox Business' Megan Henney contributed to this report.