Newsweek
These 30 Republicans Voted Against Infrastructure Bill; Here's What It Would Give Their States
By Elizabeth Crisp
Thirty Republican senators voted against the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill when it passed the U.S. Senate on Tuesday—turning their backs on billions that their states stand to gain from the package.
Many objected to the price tag or specific items covered in the massive proposal, which has been hailed by President Joe Biden and other supporters as an historic effort to address the nation's crumbling infrastructure.
It contains money for upgrades to federal highways, bridges, broadband and water systems, among many other major projects.
"After years and years and years of 'Infrastructure Week,' we're on the cusp of an infrastructure decade that I truly believe will transform America," Biden told reporters Tuesday after the Senate's 69-30 vote. "I know compromise is hard for both sides, but it's important—it's necessary—for a democracy to be able to function."
Nineteen Republicans joined all Democratic senators voting in favor of the Biden-backed bill.
But former President Donald Trump has hinted he'll target those GOP members and already has blasted U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, for supporting the proposal.
The 30 Republicans who voted against the infrastructure plan represent 21 states that stand to get billions of relief money from the package. Several cited a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that estimated the infrastructure bill could add $256 billion to the federal deficit.
All qualify for at least $100 million for expanded broadband access. Here's what's in the bill for their states for roads, bridges and public transportation:
Alabama
Both senators from Alabama—Tommy Tuberville and Richard Shelby—voted against the infrastructure bill.
Based on the legislation's funding formula, Alabama would get more than $5.4 billion for highway and bridge upgrades.
According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory report released in March, at least 620 bridges in the state are considered structurally deficient. Meanwhile, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates 11 percent of Alabama roads are in "poor" condition, costing each motorist an estimated $434 a year in repairs.
Additionally, the bill would provide for at least $405 million to improve public transportation in the state.
In a statement on his vote, Tuberville accused the negotiators of filling the bill with "giveaways to big cities and pet projects that have little to do with real infrastructure."
"I've travelled the state from top to bottom, and I know firsthand that Alabama, like many states across the country, needs a robust investment in real infrastructure," he said. "I've said all along I'd be for a bill that invests every penny of every dollar in improvements to our roads, bridges, waterways and rural broadband."
Arkansas
Both senators from Arkansas—Tom Cotton and John Boozman—voted against the infrastructure bill.
That's despite the more than $3.8 billion it would provide for upgrades to highways and bridges. Experts estimate that 663 bridges in Arkansas are structurally deficient, while 31 percent of roads are in poor condition, costing motorists $671 each in annual repairs.
If it passes the U.S. House, the infrastructure package would also provide $252 million to improve public transportation in Arkansas.
"Arkansans support real infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, waterways, rural broadband and ongoing maintenance," Cotton said in a statement. "They do not want President Biden's 'social infrastructure' and climate alarmism, especially under the threat of increased inflation and higher taxes."
Florida
Both senators from Florida—Marco Rubio and Rick Scott—voted against the infrastructure bill that would provide at least $13.3 billion for roads and bridges in their state.
An estimated 13 percent of the roads in Florida are deemed in poor condition, while at least 408 bridges are structurally deficient.
The package also provides for at least $12 billion for expanding public transportation options.
"I support investing in roads, bridges, broadband, and efforts to mitigate against sea level rise, and I hoped there would be a bill I could vote for," Rubio said in a statement. "But this bill was negotiated in secret, rushed through the process without meaningful opportunities to have input, and adds a net increase of $350 billion to the national debt."
Indiana
Both senators from Indiana—Mike Braun and Todd Young—voted against the infrastructure bill.
It would provide at least $7 billion for roads and bridges in the state, and an additional $682 million for public transportation.
Experts estimate that 19,284 of bridges in Indiana are structurally deficient and 23 percent of roads are in poor condition.
Braun, who had been working on the bipartisan infrastructure framework, said it ultimately came down to a concern about the pricetag.
"Once this legislation passes the Senate, it will move next to the House of Representatives, where changes are all but certain," he said in a statement. "I intend to do what Hoosiers expect me to do, which is to continue working with my colleagues to improve this bill in hopes that the final product will be one I can support, because I sincerely believe we must address our nation's infrastructure needs."
Iowa
Senator Joni Ernst voted against the infrastructure bill, while her colleague, Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican who was previously the chamber's second-highest-ranking member, voted in favor of the proposal.
The state stands to get at least $3.8 billion for road and bridge repairs through the infrastructure package to address Iowa's 4,571 structurally deficient bridges and address the 29 percent of major roadways in the state that are in poor condition.
It also would provide $310 million for public transportation upgrades.
"While I certainly support improving America's hard infrastructure—like our roads and bridges—I simply can't support saddling more debt onto the shoulders of future generations of Iowans and opening the door for Bernie Sanders to ram through his multi-trillion dollar liberal tax-and-spending spree," Ernst said in a statement, referring to a separate $3.5 trillion budget framework the Senate adopted on a party-line vote after the infrastructure bill.
Kansas
Both Kansas senators—Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran—voted against the infrastructure bill.
Kansas would get $2.8 billion to improve highways and bridges. According to the recent surveys, the state has 1,321 bridges in need of repair, but its highway system was deemed "great" by ASCE, but 12 percent of the state's roads are in poor condition.
The infrastructure package also provides $273 million for public transportation.
Moran, who was one of the 22 senators in the bipartisan negotiating group, released a statement saying that ultimately he couldn't support the final draft.
"Too much spending, too much debt and too much inflation," he said. "My efforts to reach a compromise were honest and sincere, and, unfortunately, we were unable to arrive at a bill I could support."
Kentucky
U.S. Senator Rand Paul voted against the infrastructure package, while Republican McConnell voted in favor.
The proposal would provide more than $5 billion for highway and bridge upgrades in the state, where recent surveys have shown 1,033 bridges are structurally deficient and each motorists pays an average of $444 per year in repairs from driving on the 10 percent of roadways in need of repair.
The infrastructure package also provides for $69 million to enhance public transportation offerings.
"Instead of bringing down soaring gas prices, it will push them even higher along with the price of food and other necessities soaring from inflation," Paul said in a statement. "This is not the plan Kentucky families need."
Louisiana
U.S. Senator John Kennedy voted against the infrastructure package, while his Louisiana counterpart, Senator Bill Cassidy, was one of the lead Republican negotiators on the bill and voted in favor.
Louisiana would get at least $5.8 billion for roads and bridges. Experts estimate 1,634 of the state's bridges are badly in need of repair and 25 percent of the roads are in poor condition. ASCE estimates Louisiana drivers spend an average of $667 a year on repairs from driving on damaged roads.
The state would also qualify for at least $470 million to expand public transportation.
"The bill is 2,700 pages—twice as long as the Bible. We were given only a few days to read it," Kennedy said in a statement. "Instead of continuing that process that we have used—myself included—for decades to build successful, bipartisan infrastructure bills, the White House cast it aside for a rushed process that sidestepped regular order and opened up the 'infrastructure' bill to a host of unrelated and not fully debated positions.
Mississippi
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith voted against the infrastructure bill, but her Republican colleague, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, voted in favor.
The state stands to get more than $3.5 billion for roads and bridges from the infrastructure measure. Another $223 million would go to public transportation.
According to recent the most recent analyses, 1,386 Mississippi bridges are structurally deficient and 27 percent of roads are in poor condition.
"Many provisions in this sprawling legislation have merit and would help Mississippi, but voting for it is a bridge too far to cross. We need more infrastructure investment, but I am unconvinced this rushed massive, one-shot bill is the best or most fiscally-responsible way to fix roads, bridges, water and wastewater systems, and the electrical grid," Hyde-Smith said in a statement.
Missouri
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley voted against the infrastructure proposal, but Republican Senator Roy Blunt, who has recently announced he won't seek reelection next year, voted in favor.
The state could receive as much as $6 billion for roads and bridges under the plan. Another $677 million would go to public transportation.
A quarter of the state's roads have been rated as being in poor condition, while 2,190 bridges in Missouri are structurally deficient.
On Twitter, Hawley accused the bill of advancing "Joe Biden's woke agenda under the guise of 'infrastructure.'"
Montana
U.S. Senator Steve Daines voted against the infrastructure package, while Senator John Tester, also a Republican, voted in favor.
Montana would get more than $3 billion under the infrastructure package's funding formula for roads and bridges. Additionally, $164 million would go to public transportation offerings.
The state has 377 bridges in need of repair and 12 percent of its roadways are in poor condition.
Daines released a statement citing the CBO analysis.
"Montanans were told and promised that this massive, 2,700-page bill would not increase the debt," he said. "This is absolutely unacceptable, especially at a time when Montana families are already dealing with soaring inflation and skyrocketing prices on everything from gas to groceries."
Nebraska
While Republican Senator Deb Fischer voted in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that would provide at least $2.2 billion for Montana highways and bridges, Senator Ben Sasse voted against it.
The state has an estimated 1,302 bridges that are structurally deficient, and 11 percent of its roadways are in need of repair.
It also includes $192 million for public transportation.
"This $1 trillion infrastructure bill continues to spend money our country doesn't have—and contrary to lots of Enron-style accounting claims, no, it won't pay for itself," Sasse said in a statement on his vote. "Yes, infrastructure is important, but doing it the right way is more important."
Oklahoma
Both Senators from Oklahoma—Jim Inhofe and James Lankford—voted against advancing the infrastructure bill.
Under the funding formula for roads and bridges, the state would get more than $4.5 billion for upgrades and an additional $354 million for public transportation.
Experts estimate that 2,326 of Oklahoma's bridges and 7 percent of roadways are in need of repair.
"Instead of working to build a real, substantive infrastructure bill, these sideshow negotiations produced a grab-bag of bad policy decisions that weren't vetted: adding a quarter of a trillion dollars to the deficit, stacking the deck in favor of electric vehicles and focusing on transit over roads and highways, just to name a few," Inhofe said in a statement on his vote.
Pennsylvania
Senator Pat Toomey voted against the infrastructure bill, while his Democratic counterpart from the Keystone State, Senator Bob Casey, voted in favor.
Pennsylvania would receive an estimated $11.5 billion for roads and bridges, plus $2.8 billion for public transportation, under the funding formulas in the bill.
More than 3,350 of the state's bridges are structurally deficient, while 27 percent of its roadways are in need of repair, according to the ASCE and FHWA reviews.
"Federal infrastructure spending should be driven by a reasoned assessment of our nation's needs, but this process was driven by Democratic political imperatives rather than necessity," Toomey said in a statement.
South Carolina
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who has been a key ally of Trump, still voted in favor of the infrastructure bill, but his Republican colleague, Senator Tim Scott, voted against.
The package would provide more than $4.8 billion for federal highways and bridges in the state. It also includes nearly $5 million for public transportation programs in South Carolina.
An estimated 1,702 bridges in the state have been deemed structurally deficient, and 18 percent of roadways are in need of repair, costing motorists an average of $564 each year.
"I support targeted investment in upgrading our nation's roads, bridges, ports, broadband, and other real infrastructure needs. But I cannot support more reckless spending on unrelated pet projects that will suffocate our future generations with mountains of debt," Scott said in a statement.
South Dakota
Senator Mike Rounds started as a member of the bipartisan negotiating group, but ultimately didn't vote either way when the bill came up because he was out of town with his wife who is being treated for cancer. He released a statement shortly before the vote saying he couldn't support the final draft because he believed it had evolved too far on the progressive side.
Meanwhile, Senator John Thune voted against the infrastructure package that would provide more than $2 billion for upgrades to roads and federal highways in South Dakota.
"I have said from the very beginning that this bill should be fully paid for, and unfortunately, that is not the case," Thune said in a statement on his vote. "While I support investments in our nation's infrastructure, I could not support this final product that will further increase the national debt and financially burden future generations."
Surveys found 1,038 of the state's bridges are in need of repair, and 14 percent of roads are in poor condition.
Another $370 million would go toward expanding public transportation, under the bill's funding formulas.
Tennessee
Both Senators from Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, voted against the infrastructure bill.
The proposal would mean more than $6 billion for bridges and federal highway updates in the state, where 5 percent of roads are in poor condition and 881 bridges are structurally deficient. It also would give the state $633 million for public transportation.
"Tennesseans are all for legislation focused on roads and bridges, but the Democrat spending spree is far from that," Blackburn said in a statement. "The infrastructure bill is not paid for and will take even more money out of Tennesseans' hard-earned paychecks."
Texas
Both Senators from Texas, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, voted against the infrastructure plan, even though their state stands to gain a massive haul from it.
The state would get at least $27 billion for roads and bridges and $3.3 billion for public transportation.
Experts report that 818 of the state's bridges are in need of repair, and 22 percent of roads are in poor condition. ASCE estimates that Texas drivers spend an average of $709 each year from driving on poor quality roads.
"The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that passed today contained only about $100 billion for roads and bridges," Cruz said in a statement. "As I've said before, if the Democrats wanted to pass a bill just to fix and expand our roads and bridges, they could have done it with near-unanimous support."
Utah
Senator Mike Lee, an outspoken supporter of the former president, voted against the infrastructure package, while Republican Senator Mitt Romney, a former GOP presidential contender who has butted heads with Trump, voted in favor.
Utah would get about $2.6 billion for bridge and highway upgrades, plus $626 million for public transportation.
The ASCE and FHWA reports found 62 bridges in the state are in need of repair and 22 percent of roads are in poor condition.
"I am sorely disappointed that the Senate chose to pass this irresponsible and so-called 'infrastructure' bill," Lee said in a statement. "Ultimately, it will be the American people who will be forced to pay the exorbitant price."
Wisconsin
Senator Ron Johnson voted against the infrastructure package, but his Democratic counterpart, Senator Tammy Baldwin, voted for the bill.
Under the funding formula estimates, the state would get more than $5.4 billion for road and bridge improvements. It also would get $595 million for public transportation.
An estimated 979 Wisconsin bridges have been deemed structurally deficient, while 18 percent of the state's roadways are in poor condition.
"We need to spend money on infrastructure," Johnson said in a statement. "We also need to stop further mortgaging our children's future."
Wyoming
Both Senators from Wyoming—John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis—voted against the infrastructure plan, which would provide an estimated $5.4 billion for federal highway and bridge upgrades in their state.
According to transportation experts, 218 bridges in Wyoming are in need of repair and 5 percent of its roads are in poor condition.
In his statement on his vote, Barrasso acknowledged his state would receive money it needs for roads and bridges.
"I've insisted that an infrastructure bill be fully paid for. This bill misses that mark," he said. "Washington must learn to live within its means, like every family in Wyoming does."
These 30 Republicans voted against the infrastructure deal:
John Barrasso of Wyoming
Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
John Boozman of Arkansas
Mike Braun of Indiana
John Cornyn of Texas
Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Ted Cruz of Texas
Steve Daines of Montana
Joni Ernst of Iowa
Bill Hagerty of Tennessee
Josh Hawley of Missouri
Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi
James Inhofe of Oklahoma
Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
John Kennedy of Louisiana
James Lankford of Oklahoma
Mike Lee of Utah
Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming
Roger Marshall of Kansas
Jerry Moran of Kansas
Rand Paul of Kentucky
Marco Rubio of Florida
Ben Sasse of Nebraska
Rick Scott of Florida
Tim Scott of South Carolina
Richard Shelby of Alabama
John Thune of South Dakota
Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania
Tommy Tuberville of Alabama
Todd Young of Indiana
The infrastructure package must still be vetted by the U.S. House, which is currently on August recess but is expected to cut it short and return to the Capitol next week. The Senate advanced a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint early Wednesday morning on a party-line vote, which had been a condition for House leaders to call members back.