Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to skip a White House ceremony to sign a newly passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, with some noting it could be related to being mocked over the legislation by former President Donald Trump.
“No, I’ve got other things I’ve got to do other than go to the signing ceremony,” McConnell said during an interview with WHAS, a Kentucky radio station, according to The Hill. Or perhaps McConnell is panicking about the optics of colluding with the Democrats, and wants to keep a low profile?
McConnell is one of 19 GOP senators who voted in support of the infrastructure bill. In the House, 13 Republicans voted alongside Democrats to pass the effort.
Trump’s Impact
Trump blasted Republicans who joined the legislation, calling out McConnell by name.
”Why is it that Old Crow Mitch McConnell voted for a terrible Democrat Socialist Infrastructure Plan, and induced others in his party to do likewise, when he was incapable of getting a great Infrastructure Plan wanting to be put forward by me and the Republican Party?” Trump said in a recent statement.
Trump has often criticized the Senate Minority Leader as a RINO, or a Republican in name only.
McConnell’s Response
‘This bill was basically written in the Senate by a bipartisan group,” McConnell said in the WHAS interview. ”I think it was good for the country, and I’m glad it passed.”
Whether McConnell admits it or not, however, the bipartisan aspect of the bill ended long ago. After an initial bipartisan plan, Democrats chose to combine the passing of the legislation with Biden’s Build Back Better bill in an effort to pass more spending through Congress.
The earlier version of the massive spending bill was $3.5 trillion. After push back from West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, the bill has been cut in half.
The current version still stands at a whopping $1.75 trillion. Combined with the infrastructure bill, the two pieces of legislation would add nearly $3 trillion in new tax payer spending on Americans.
Conservatives fear the reckless spending could harm the nation for decades. McConnell seems to be ready to simply move along.
The bill is passed whether McConnell attends the signing or not. The concern is whether anything will be done to stop conservatives from continuing to side with the left after being voted into office.
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