OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Sometime soon, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the $1.2 trillion core infrastructure package that was passed by the US Senate this summer.
UPDATE: President Biden delivers remarks on the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal
That bill has been held up because Democrats are also trying to pass a larger infrastructure package, alongside it.
Congressman Don bacon told the media he’s in favor of it, if the bill isn’t combined with the larger deal.
“This is the sixth time that we’ve been promised a vote on these bills and they can’t get the votes,” said Bacon.
As he waited in Washington to vote on Friday, Congressman Don Bacon showed frustration as a large infrastructure package that Democrats have been trying to pass since August continually got held up.
He says the two factions of Democratic house members, the progressives and the moderates, couldn’t agree.
“So you have a group on both sides who are refusing to vote, one or the other, because they’re holding the other hostage and I think the moderates are correct,” said Bacon.
Democrats in Congress are trying to pass two bills. One is the $1.2 trillion core infrastructure package that was passed in the Senate with a few GOP votes.
The other is a larger $1.85 trillion package that would be passed through the reconciliation process, that no Republicans support.
Bacon says he’s in favor of the first deal, if it’s not combined with the second bill.
“I’d like to have supported this infrastructure bill back in August and if it’s a totally separate bill, bills totally separate from the reconciliation bill, I still want to support it. But we’ll see how it’s going to be tied together here,” said Bacon.
This comes during a good week for Republicans after major victories in Virginia, and positive results in Democratic territory.
Many of those races have centered around education issues, Critical Race Theory, sex education and other similar topics.
Bacon is now more confident about the GOP taking back Congress next year and says education is now top of mind.
“My goal coming out of this is to reassure Nebraskans that I’m going to support...I don’t want Washington DC, I don’t want Congress to micromanage local schools,” said Bacon.
Update:
Last night, Bacon and other representatives voted to approve the bill.
Nebraska Reps. Adrian Smith and Jeff Fortenberry voted down the bill while Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa voted in line with Bacon.
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