House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters that Democrats acknowledged they would not allow any GOP provisions in a major infrastructure measure poised to pass the House this week.
McCarthy, a California Republican, said Monday that he met with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer about the $1.5 trillion infrastructure package.
“I said, ‘It’s very partisan,’ and he said, ‘Yes it is. That’s the way it’s going to be,’” McCarthy said, describing his conversation with Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat.
Republicans have complained that they were excluded from participating in writing the measure. It includes a significant focus on climate change, including proposed massive increases in investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and zero-emissions buses, as well as new grant programs incentivizing states to cut their transportation pollution.
The legislation would also extend tax credits for wind, solar, and carbon capture and create incentives for energy storage, among other clean energy tax provisions.
A spokeswoman for Hoyer has not yet responded to a request for a comment in response to McCarthy’s claim.
McCarthy blamed the one-sided approach on Pelosi’s decision to allow the House to work and vote remotely, which he said has diminished Democratic participation on all levels, including in committees, which are now holding virtual hearings in many cases.
McCarthy said the format has given House Speaker Nancy Pelosi increased power to move legislation without the usual debate and inclusion of the rest of the Congress.
“The sad part is members of her own party have allowed her to do that,” McCarthy said. “They have gone against what they told their constituents, that they would speak for them and vote for them. Instead, as in shadow voting, they handed their vote to the back of her pocket so it doesn’t matter what happens in committees, even if it’s Zoomed far away, where people can’t even participate.”
Hoyer told the Washington Examiner, “The President agreed with House Democrats that we need a $2 trillion infrastructure package to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, and as he so often does, he walked away from discussions.”
Trump “is not working to advance this issue, and while we’re still awaiting his Administration’s infamous ‘infrastructure week,’” Hoyer said. “House Democrats are taking action. We are moving ahead to deliver on our pledge to pass an infrastructure package. We have put forward and will pass a bill that reflects our priorities.”
