Republican Senator Bill Hagerty has vowed to delay the passage of the $1.2trillion infrastructure bill until legislators can have a complete and 'robust' debate on the package.
Senate Democrats are pushing to fast-track the more than 2,700-page legislation, which includes federal spending on high-speed internet and new roads, bridges and highways, so lawmakers can begin their month-long recess.
On Saturday, senators voted 67-27 to advance the bill, with 18 Republicans joining the 49 Democrats in favor of moving it forward for further negotiations.
But Tennessee senator Hagerty said he refuses to sign off on a deal that expedites the passage of the bill.
'I wasn't elected by the people of Tennessee to be the most popular person in the Senate. I was elected to stand up to their interests,' Hagerty told the Washington Times.
Sen. Bill Hagerty is refusing to vote to accelerate the passage of the $1.2trillion infrastructure bill citing concerns of debt and the fact that lawmakers 'haven't had an opportunity to dig in and understand its substance or economic ramifications'
'I can't in good conscience vote to accelerate a flawed bill that puts us another quarter of a trillion-plus in debt, especially when we haven't had an opportunity to dig in and understand its substance or economic ramifications.'
In order for the bill to be fast-tracked, all 100 Senators must accept the the legislation without protest. According to the newspaper, Hagerty is the only one refusing to do so.
He believes by removing the Senate's tradition of unlimited debate, lawmakers are deprived of shaping the final legislative product.
'It's certainly not the way a business person like me would approach anything,' Hagerty explained. 'It's not moved through normal order, we have a series of committees … and that type of structure should have been used to properly vet and do the due diligence so you don't have unintended consequences.'
Hagerty's resistance to accelerate the voting process could push passage of the bill to Tuesday, Business Insider reported.
He asserts that he is not 'slowing the bill down' but instead encouraging it to go through the 'normal process'.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been putting pressure on legislators to pass the bill. He said: 'We very much want to finish this important bill. We can get this done the easy way or the hard way'
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who has previously said he would delay the summer recess until the bipartisan infrastructure bill was passed, asked lawmakers to consider two-dozen amendments before a final vote is conducted.
'There are a lot of amendments that people want to get past. I'm not objecting to those amendments whatsoever,' Hagerty said. 'A lot of them are good amendments that would make the legislation better, were they to pass … I'm also not trying to get any of my amendments included.'
Schumer has reportedly been putting pressure on lawmakers to finalize and pass the bill.
'We very much want to finish this important bill,' he said. 'We can get this done the easy way or the hard way.'
Hagerty argues that Schumer is using the acceleration process as a way to move forward with his plan to pass a $3.5trillion social welfare bill which features new climate-change regulations and amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Hagerty argues that Schumer 'doesn't care about good infrastructure' and is using the acceleration process as a way to move forward with his plan to pass a $3.5trillion social welfare bill which features new climate-change regulations and amnesty for illegal immigrants
'It's obvious that Senator Schumer is staging this in a way to put additional pressure on people. He doesn't care about good infrastructure. Clearly, if he did, he'd allow the amendment process to go forward,' Hagerty argued.
'He's the one controlling the schedule. It's not the infrastructure bill he cares about. He's just trying to get to the $3.5trillion … it's my right to as a matter of conscience, not proceed with a process that puts us even faster at the doorstep of this $3.5trillion package.'
Hagerty's opposition to the infrastructure package comes as several lawmakers have expressed concern over how the bill would be funded.
Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office deemed the package as being improperly funded, arguing that more than half of the $550billion the bill proposes in new spending is unfunded.
'That debt is going to be parked on the backs of our children and grandchildren,' said Hagerty. 'And I haven't heard anybody propose how to fix it. They just want to accelerate the passage of the whole thing.'
His concerns were resounded by several Republican colleagues.
'The infrastructure bill wants to tax you on the miles you drive. We already pay tolls, a gas tax and now a tax on mileage driven? This is a tax on rural America, imposed by DC beltway liberals who will never be affected by it,' said Sen. Lauren Boebert (R-CO).
'This $1.2trillion infrastructure bill is a trap!,' echoed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). 'It's just another avenue for the Democrats to raise taxes and raise spending.'
Hagerty took to Twitter Saturday, expressing his concerns over the bill
'On top of spending $1.2 trillion & adding to our debt, the 'infrastructure' bill also redefines sex. Congress has no business changing clear science—let alone doing it in an infrastructure bill,' argued Sen. James Lankford (R-OK).
Meanwhile, Democrats are urging for the passage of the bill and say they are willing to stay in session for 'as long as it takes'.
'The Senate is hard at work today, putting the finishing touches on what will be the largest long-term investment in American infrastructure in nearly a century,' said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). 'Senate Dems are ready to stay in Washington as long as we have to in order to finish this deal.'
'The Senate is in session right now to clear the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The plan is to get this bill passed,' Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) wrote on Twitter Saturday evening, noting that legislators will 'focus on the reconciliation package next'.
'That's where the big climate provisions will be,' he added.
Several other lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, shared their opinions about the package on social media as well
Schumer said the Senate would convene at noon on Sunday to resume consideration of the infrastructure bill.
'Hopefully we can come to some agreement tomorrow,' he said on the Senate floor.
Without that agreement, the Senate will hold a next procedural vote on Sunday evening, a Senate Democratic aide reportedly said.
Passage would be a major victory for Schumer, Biden and a bipartisan group of senators who spent months crafting the package, and would send the bill on to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Biden tweeted his support ahead of Saturday's vote, saying the 'once-in-a-generation investment in our nation's infrastructure' would create good-paying jobs refurbishing America's roads, bridges, water systems and electrical grid.
'We can't afford not to do it,' the president said. 'We can't just build back to the way things were before COVID-19, we have to build back better.'
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also signaled his support before voting for the bill.
'Republicans and Democrats have radically different visions these days, but both those visions include physical infrastructure that works for all of our citizens,' McConnell said in a speech. 'The investments this bill will make are not just necessary, in many cases, they are overdue. Our country has real needs in this area.'
As he left the Capitol, McConnell said, 'We'll be back at it tomorrow.'
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