GOP Sen. Hagerty blocks Democrats from expediting $1.2T infrastructure bill in late-night session

Sen. Bill Hagerty blocked Democrats from ramming through President Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill late Thursday, only hours after the package was found to be not fully paid for as promised.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer had worked out an agreement with Republicans to pass a series of amendments to the infrastructure package en masse.

If successful, the tactic would have all but ended debate on the bill, setting up a final vote for Saturday.

TOP STORIES National mile-driven tax pilot program tucked into $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill GOP Sen. Hagerty blocks Democrats from expediting $1.2T infrastructure bill in late-night session Appeals court upholds Amber Guyger murder conviction He argued that it would be unfair to advance the infrastructure bill, especially since the Congressional Budget Office had only hours before deemed it as improperly unfunded.

"The CBO indicated this bill will increase the deficit by at least $256 billion when it was supposed to break even. Despite this news, I was asked to consent to expedite the process and pass it." The CBO's analysis shattered a major selling point that the infrastructure package's authors had been making for weeks: mainly that it was fully funded without raising taxes.

Even some of Mr. Hagerty's GOP colleagues that normally oppose large-spending deals, like Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, were eager to wrap up the infrastructure debate and depart Washington.

Since GOP support is unlikely, its only hope is via budget reconciliation, a process that allows spending bills to avert the 60-vote hurdle and pass by a simple majority of 51 votes.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/6/sen-bill-hagerty-blocks-democrats-expediting-12t-i/