'Tiger of the House' claws his way through infrastructure talks

[BeckyDem]

( A very good man. )

Peter DeFazio has made his life's work about transportation. Now, at a pivotal moment, the Democratic committee chair's being boxed out.

House Transportation Committee Chair Peter DeFazio is on the verge of getting rolled. And he’s not going quietly.

After a 34-year congressional career devoted to transportation and environment issues, the Oregon Democrat could soon be forced to watch his life’s work shunted to the side if Senate negotiators secure a deal this week on a massive $1.2 trillion infrastructure package — largely without House input.

In a fiery tirade to fellow Democrats during a closed-door meeting Tuesday, DeFazio called the bill “crap.” He blasted the White House and Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who he referred to as the three “Republicans” crafting the Senate deal.


“I could give a damn about the White House. We’re an independent branch of government,” DeFazio said in a brief interview afterwards. “They cut this deal. I didn’t sign off on it.”

As the third most senior Democrat in the House and a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, DeFazio is the rare battleground incumbent who could hardly be confused for a moderate.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/27/peter-defazio-infrastructure-talks-501008

[ShazamIam]

1. I wonder if his main gripe is the Republican effort to include more privatization in the infrastruct

infrastructure legislation. Privatization of mandated government services is nothing but legalized graft, converting tax money into private profit.

[BeckyDem]

2. It might be but it seems like he had a broad spectrum of initiatives.

Eventually, we'll likely learn more specifics.

[BeckyDem]

3. The irony: NEW: "Sen. Kyrsten Sinema doesn't support Democrats' $3.5 trillion bill,

Link to tweet

[BeckyDem]

4. Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter to call out the Arizona Democrat, writing:

"Good luck tanking your own party's investment on childcare, climate action, and infrastructure while presuming you'll survive a 3 vote House margin - especially after choosing to exclude members of color from negotiations and calling that a 'bipartisan accomplishment.'"

Ocasio-Cortez previously criticized the lack of diversity in the bipartisan group, arguing that it leaves marginalized communities behind.

Sinema is a key moderate for the Democrats, and a main negotiator in the bipartisan infrastructure deal. A group of Republican senators said earlier today that they had reached a bipartisan deal with the White House. That deal cut $30 billion from the new spending proposed, lowering funding for public transit and slashing an infrastructure bank meant to foster private and public partnership. Sinema's opposition will force Senate Democrats to make cuts from the $3.5 trillion agreement they struck earlier this month. It will need all 50 Democrats in the Senate to stick together so it clears the arduous reconciliation process.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/aoc-on-sinema-blocking-dollar35-trillion-infrastructure-bill-good-luck-tanking-your-own-partys-investment/ar-AAMFyX1?ocid=st