Senators Scott and Rubio Stand Their Ground in Opposing So-Called Infrastructure Bill

by: Tyler Shaw

In a vote Tuesday, the United States Senate passed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

Many Senate Republicans, including Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, have criticized the recently passed infrastructure bill, pointing out that this 2,700 page bill adds over $.25 trillion to the national debt and has little to do with actual infrastructure.

In fact, while this bill allocates $110 billion to roads and bridges, $73 billion to power infrastructure, $66 billion to passenger and freight rail, $65 billion to high-speed internet, and $39 billion to public transit, the remaining $847 billion isn’t dedicated to infrastructure at all.

In a Tweet Wednesday, Senator Rubio pointed out that this 2700 page bill is too long for any one person to read and because of its size things are bound to slip through the cracks, “When you rush a 2700 page bill through the Senate things slip through the cracks. In the infrastructure bill the SMART Grant Program DOES NOT prohibit the purchase or use of Chinese drones. Huge problem that needs to be addressed.”

In a press conference Monday, Senator Scott pointed out that this one bill will add over $.25 trillion dollars to the national debt, “You look at the bill that’s going to pass in the morning, the infrastructure bill. According to the congressional budget office $256 billion. Now think about that. One bill, one bill, $256 billion dollars of deficit spending.”

In Tuesday’s vote, Florida Senator’s Marco Rubio and Rick Scott were among 31 Republicans to vote against the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.