Biden calls out Republican who hailed broadband money after opposing law
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A number of congressional Republicans who voted against the bipartisan infrastructure law are now spotlighting and at times celebrating how it will fund broadband expansion in their home states.
And President Biden is mocking them for touting money they opposed.
"See you at the groundbreaking," Biden tweeted Wednesday, retweeting this comment from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) earlier in the week: "Great to see Alabama receive crucial funds to boost ongoing broadband efforts." Tuberville was one of 30 Senate Republicans to vote against the bill in August 2021.
Hours later in Chicago, during a speech on his economic agenda, Biden kept at it, calling out Tuberville by name.
Biden spoke of the lawmakers who "strenuously opposed" the bill and suggested that his $42 billion to expand high-speed internet access, announced earlier this week, is "bringing along some converts" in the Republican Party.
"There's a guy named Tuberville . . . senator from Alabama," who "strongly opposed the legislation," Biden told the crowd. "Now, he's hailing its passage."
The Biden administration's plan aims to deliver reliable broadband to the entire country by 2030. Alabama is among the 10 states receiving the most funding through the plan - $1.4 billion.
In 2021, Tuberville argued that he could not vote for the infrastructure legislation, saying it "fails to give Alabama a fair slice of the pie while also saddling Alabama taxpayers with even more debt."
Tuberville and other Republicans now argue that since Biden signed the bill into law, their constituents deserve to get their slice of federal dollars.
Steven Stafford, a spokesperson for Tuberville, said the senator has never "hailed" the infrastructure bill's passage as Biden suggested in his speech.
"Coach voted against the infrastructure bill because it wasted Alabamians' tax dollars," Stafford said of the former college football coach., adding: "But now that it is law of the land, the people of Alabama deserve their fair share. Coach is proud to advocate for this funding to go to Alabama."
In the days after Biden's announcement this week, several other Republicans have praised the funds for their states - and been called out by the White House for their embrace of money they opposed.
A White House memo shared with reporters mentioned Republicans having "a timely conversion" to supporting provisions of the infrastructure law, specifically citing Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Robert E. Latta (R-Ohio), chair of that panel's communications and technology subcommittee.
The pair of Republican lawmakers in a statement called the broadband plan "an important step in our work to close the digital divide." Their statement also emphasized the need for oversight of the funds.
Sean Kelly, a spokesperson for McMorris Rodgers, said that the committee "will continue its oversight work to make sure these allocations are not wasted and go to the communities that need them most. Every cent of taxpayer dollars should be spent wisely and effectively to close the digital divide, and that is a priority everyone should agree on."
Latta's office said the congressman has long been focused on closing the digital divide and oversight: "Now that the bill is law and funds are being allocated, the taxpayers he represents deserve to know how the allocation in broadband funding will impact their communities."
Another Republican named in the White House memo, Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis of Florida, argued in July 2021 that "the vast majority of spending contained within the INVEST Act [the bipartisan infrastructure bill] centers around pushing unpopular, liberal policy proposals" and would "hurt both American consumers and workers." On Tuesday, he tweeted that he worked closely with local and state officials to help them attain the broadband funds.
Summer Blevins, Bilirakis's deputy chief of staff, said that although the congressman voted against the final infrastructure bill, "he does recognize that his constituents can benefit from the [broadband expansion] program. His team has worked closely with local and state government stakeholders to ensure they are well-positioned to receive their fair share of federal funding that has been allocated for this purpose."
Republicans' public discussion of Biden-backed broadband funds going to their states has led to criticism online.
When online commenters criticized Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) for sharing a story about the $3.3 billion in broadband funds his state is receiving as a result of the infrastructure law's funds, he pushed back.
"You bet I did," Cornyn tweeted, in reference to voting against the bill, "1) because it was not paid for and thus grew the debt and 2) fueled inflation that is robbing Texans and other Americans of their standard of living. Broadband is important, but you don't solve one problem by creating two more. There is a better way."
Mitch Landrieu, the White House infrastructure implementation coordinator, said it is "unfortunate that congressional Republicans like Senator Tuberville voted no but still want the dough. If they had integrity, they'd applaud President Biden's leadership for putting us on the path to bringing reliable, affordable high-speed internet to every American."
The responses to Republican statements about broadband expansion are part of broader efforts by the White House to illustrate a contrast between Democratic policy efforts and GOP opposition.
Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024, has zeroed in on Republicans who opposed his legislation but showed enthusiasm when funding from those priorities came their way.
At a fundraiser in California this month, the president similarly called out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), telling donors he was planning to show up in her district to highlight a project funded through his plan. In April, she celebrated the expansion of a solar panel production company in her district - a project made possible through tax incentives in Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which she opposed.
Vice President Harris visited the plant in Greene's district this spring.
This week, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) criticized Biden's green-energy initiative - but did so at an electric battery supplier that is the recipient of federal funds.
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Video: While speaking in Chicago on June 28, President Biden called out Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) for previously opposing the infrastructure bill, "Now, he's hailing it's passage."(The Washington Post)
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