WASHINGTON (Washington Insider Magazine) – Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., was among 205 Republicans in the House who voted against the bipartisan $1.5 trillion infrastructure legislation in November, calling it foolish and the “Green New Deal in disguise.”
On Friday, he used Twitter to praise funding from the legislation he opposed, promoting a $70 million development of the Port of Virginia in Norfolk, one of the country’s deepest and busiest ports.
A representative for Wittman informed ABC News on Monday that the house member has spent over a decade actively continuing to support the Port of Virginia, and that the extent of finance the port did receive through the infrastructure legislation was an outcome of that previous work, specifically the Army Corps of Engineers’ “new start” designation in 2021.
Wittman’s office stated that he removed the tweet since he did not intend to give the idea that he supported the bill.
Wittman is the newest in a rising line of Republicans who are applauding new ideas that they rejected on the floor.
Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., welcomed millions and millions in support for blocked highway construction in Birmingham just after rejecting the bill last year.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, a rookie member who also opposed the infrastructure legislation, is praising new financing for locks upgrades all along the Upper Mississippi River.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, a rookie member who also opposed the infrastructure legislation, is praising new financing for locks upgrades all along the Upper Mississippi River.
Nineteen Senate Republicans and 13 House Republicans voted with Democrats to support the package, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., with several collaborating with Democrats and the Biden White House on the specifics and congressional language.
Democrats have slammed Republicans who actually opposed the infrastructure bill and the new COVID-19 relief package while applauding parts of it, accusing them of “voting no and taking the dough.”
Republicans have defended their votes, claiming that they were opposed to Democrats’ bigger plan, which included the bipartisan package known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Rep. Steve Scalise,R-La., the No. 2 House Republican who lauded a $1 billion funding in hurricane repairs and flood protection in his home state that was funded by the bill he rejected, told ABC News that the GOP whip has “consistently supported these flood protection projects” and authorized earlier laws to lay the groundwork for them.
