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Committee Majority Ignores Republican Input on One-Sided Budget Reconciliation Measure

Washington, D.C., February 10, 2021 | Justin Harclerode (202) 225-9446
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After a markup that lasted over eight hours, the Majority’s budget reconciliation measure passed out of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  The Majority made no attempt to work across the aisle to develop the measure and didn’t accept a single Republican amendment during the markup.

Republicans supported multiple previous COVID relief packages, which were developed and passed in bipartisan fashion in 2020, including $113 billion in transportation funding and over $45 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding.  However, today’s one-sided measure provides recommendations to the Budget Committee on how to spend another $95.62 billion taxpayer dollars for programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction, but includes no Republican input. 

Among the Republican amendments that were not approved by the Majority today:

  • A Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH) amendment to redirect the $10 billion in transit funding above the Biden administration’s request to state departments of transportation for road and bridge programs, providing for a more equitable distribution of this funding throughout the country and ensuring that rural communities aren’t left behind by this relief package;
  • A Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) amendment to redirect funds to the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) to help with vaccination distribution;
  • A Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) amendment to direct more funds toward vaccine distribution in rural and small states;
  • A Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) amendment to ensure that no entities owned or controlled by non-market economy countries, including the Chinese regime, would be able to receive funding provided under the measure;
  • A Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) amendment to give states the flexibility to use the transit funding provided for other transportation purpose if deemed to be of greater cost-benefit ratio;
  • Amendments by Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), and Rick Crawford (R-AR) to assist workers impacted by the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline were defeated, ruled out of order, or withdrawn.

    The Committee’s Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) said, “Although President Biden has pledged to work in a bipartisan manner for the American people, we’re only three weeks into his new administration and Congressional leaders’ first move has been to go down this incredibly partisan path with budget reconciliation.  Instead of trying to work with Republicans to determine the impacts of our previous COVID relief – much of which still hasn’t yet gotten to those it’s intended to help – or to very carefully target our next steps, the Majority is in a sprint to pass this next $1.9 trillion package.  I will say this again: the American people want and expect Congress to work together on bipartisan, well-crafted, commonsense solutions to help our infrastructure and our economy.  That’s the exact opposite of what happened during today’s partisan Committee markup.”

    • Click here for a full list of amendments offered and votes taken today.
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