America, both red and blue states, got a big win today as the Senate formally approved President Biden’s historic $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Yes, there were many delays, concessions and disagreements that threatened to derail it, but in the end, the White House got a signature win that could help transform much of the United States with its investments in rebuilding the country’s roads, railways, bridges as well as the expansion of broadband internet.
Just as important for Biden, it’s a bipartisan victory. The final roll call was 69-30, and that’s why the only real loser today is former president Donald Trump.
Why? Because 19 Republican Senators voted in favor of a bill Trump has been arguing against for weeks.
Who were those nineteen senators who dared to go against the supposed “leader” of the GOP? Here they are:
- Roy Blunt (Mo.)
- Richard Burr (N.C.)
- Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.)
- Bill Cassidy (La.)
- Susan Collins (Maine)
- Kevin Cramer (N.D.)
- Mike Crapo (Idaho)
- Deb Fischer (Neb.)
- Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
- Chuck Grassley (Iowa)
- John Hoeven (N.D.)
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)
- Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
- Rob Portman (Ohio)
- Jim Risch (Idaho)
- Mitt Romney (Utah)
- Dan Sullivan (Alaska)
- Thom Tillis (N.C.)
- Roger Wicker (Miss.)
Some of those names aren’t surprising. Mitt Romney voted to impeach Trump, and he as well as Rob Portman, and Lisa Murkowski were deeply involved in the bipartisan talks that got the bill across the finish line.
But look who else is on that list— Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s golf buddies and apologists, voted in favor of it. So did Chuck Grassley, who just yesterday was defending Trump on the senate floor by saying any president has “every right” to discuss strategy with close advisors — apparently, even if it involves trying to overturn a fair election.
“The president has every right to discuss ideas & strategies with his closest advisors … for robust discussion” — Grassley is talking here about Trump’s attempts to scheme with the DOJ to overthrow a free and fair election pic.twitter.com/JjItHbsW99
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 9, 2021
Without a doubt, the name on the list that irked Trump the most on that list is Mitch McConnell. Shortly after the vote was announced, Trump sent out a press release, since he’s been banned from social media. We won’t waste your time recounting everything he said in it — it treads a lot of familiar ground — but his anger at McConnell is apparent as he called him “the most overrated man in politics.”
It’s no secret Trump has been holding a grudge against the Kentucky Senator for some time now. He’s taken numerous shots at him in recent months, mainly because McConnell condemned his speech that incited the Jan. 6 Insurrection and refused to support Trump’s election lies and wild conspiracy theories. Now out of office and without his Twitter megaphone, the best he can do is issue a statement saying mean things about the Senate Minority Leader.
OK, but how does this make Trump the loser of today? Three reasons.
The first is that it gives Biden a signature political victory. The fact that 19 Republicans voted for the legislation is almost as important to Biden as the actual improvements the infrastructure bill will finance. He campaigned on bridging the political divide. The first six months of his presidency didn’t offer much optimism that he could accomplish that in today’s climate, but Tuesday’s vote is validation that there are some bipartisan opportunities to be had.
Second, seeing 19 GOP senators join the Democrats in handing Biden this victory indicates that all this talk of Trump’s absolute power grip on the Republican Party may be a bit hyperbolic. Remember, he’s already threatened to primary anyone who voted for the bill.
Is that ever going to happen? We’d bet against it. That would require sustained dedication and follow through, not to mention a deep-pocked financial commitments. Do we really expect him to head to Alaska to join Lisa Murkowski’s primary opponent on a stage?
The final reason why Trump is the biggest loser on this day is that Biden has already moved closer than Trump ever did in terms of accomplishing something that the nation has needed for years. Politicans on both sides of the aisle have long said that repairing and upgrading America’s infrastructure was overdue. This bill provides answers to many of those problems, such as shoring up roads, rails, bridges, and providing electric transit and school buses to help reduce emissions.
It will provide funding to fortify our power grid, upgrade airports, and push the expansion of electric cars as well as charging stations nationwide. It will fund high-speed internet expansion to the tune of $65 billion. To paraphrase then-Vice President Biden in G-rated fashion, it’s a big deal.
Do you remember how many times during Trump promised a huge infrastructure deal was happening? We were promised Infrastructure Week so many times it became a punchline — one that Biden wasn’t going to ignore today.
Infrastructure Decade. Now that is a big deal.
And if it comes to pass, we can expect another angry statement from the former president.