Charges of hypocrisy can be the emptiest of criticisms in Congress, but with a Republican Party descending into truly dangerous inanity, it’s worth highlighting again. Because these people are dangerous, and because they’re using the traditions and norms of their institution in order to get elected and re-elected so they can continue to destroy our democracy from the inside. So here we go: CNN's review of the Republicans who railed against the infrastructure bill and who now have their hands out for infrastructure bill money to bring home to their states and districts.
Take one of the most extreme members of the insurrectionist GOP, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona. When the bill passed, he issued a press release saying the bill was “phony” and “only serves to advance the America Last’s socialist agenda,” “imposes new taxes, which is completely unacceptable,” and “adds another $400 billion to the deficit.” He wrote three separate letters this year to ask for money from that “phony” bill. (He did not issue a press release about his participation in adding to the deficit.)
Gosar wrote to support a grant to build a bypass “to improve access between the great cities of Phoenix and Las Vegas.” He wrote another to support a highway extension that would “improve the region’s competitiveness,” and yet another for a project “that will positively impact both the economy and quality of life of the region.”
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None of which sounds like socialism at all, as President Joe Biden pointed out in a speech Friday, calling Republicans—and specifically Gosar—out:
It’s not just Gosar. The biggest crank in Congress, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), wrote a total of 10 different letters for projects in the state. “Opposition to a spending bill does not always mean opposition to the goal of that spending; opposition to a spending bill can mean opposition to spending that adds to the deficit and is not offset with spending cuts elsewhere,” a Paul spokesperson tried to argue in justifying Paul’s inconsistency.
These people are all playing a dangerous game, winning primaries by being the most outrageous MAGA Democrat-haters, voting against the bills, and then turning around and using the system to bring home projects that they can campaign on, get reelected, and then return to the Capitol and get back to work trying to destroy democracy.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been keeping track of all the Republican House members who “voted no, took the dough” on the big funding bills Democrats have passed, including the American Rescue Plan that passed with no Republican votes, and the infrastructure bill.
Here are four of them who we can kick out of Congress in November with Daily Kos-endorsed Democrats:
Ken Calvert (CA-41) took credit for $20 million in earmarked transportation projects despite voting against the INVEST in America Act and the Infrastructure bill.
Michelle Steel (CA-45) took credit for $8.3 million in funding to dredge the Newport Harbor after she voted against the Infrastructure bill that provided the funding for that project.
Don Bacon (NE-02) promoted the Restaurant Revitalization Fund in his district after voting NO on the American Rescue Plan that created said fund.
Yvette Herrell (NM-02) asked for Infrastructure funds to be directed toward a Superfund Site cleanup in her district after voting against Dems’ bill that guaranteed that funding.
Democrats Will Rollins, Jay Chen, Tony Vargas, and Gabe Vasquez have a good shot at flipping these districts for Democrats, as do all the House endorsees on the Daily Kos endorsement list.
They can do it with your help.
Let’s make sure we keep both chambers of Congress. Please donate $1—or how about $10?—to each of these Democrats fighting to win seats in the House!