Texas would benefit massively from the infrastructure bill , yet not one Texas Republican voted for it.
It鈥檚 now awaiting President Biden鈥檚 signature.
The bill would bring an estimated $30 billion 鈥� or more 鈥� of infrastructure spending into the state, according to a specific White House . That includes $26.9 billion from federal highway programs, $3.3 billion for public transportation and $408 million to expand the state鈥檚 electric vehicle charging network. These outlays would come over the next five years.
There is also at least $100 million slated for broadband expansion in Texas. The White House said, 鈥�14% of Texas households do not have an internet subscription.鈥�
All this funding could have a significant impact on the daily lives of people in Texas, said Michael Morris, director of transportation at the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e interested in technology, if you鈥檙e interested in bike paths, if you鈥檙e interested in safety, if you鈥檙e interested in traditional [infrastructure], if you鈥檙e interested in reknitting communities, there鈥檚 a home for all of you in this new focus,鈥� he told 四虎影院 when the bill passed the Senate in August.
While 13 House Republicans , none were from Texas鈥� congressional delegation.
In a , Fort Worth鈥檚 Kay Granger, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, said part of why she voted against the infrastructure package is because Democrats are also hoping to pass a different bill, one that funds child care, universal preschool and climate change mitigation. That bill, called the Build Back Better Act, has no GOP support in the Senate and would have to pass through a budget process known as 鈥渞econciliation.鈥�
鈥淭he fact that this bill is only being voted on alongside the reconciliation bill proves that they are two sides of the same partisan, tax-and-spend coin,鈥� Granger said.
She specifically disliked that $256 billion of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill would come from deficit spending, according to the .
Meanwhile, all of Texas鈥� 13 Democrats voted for the infrastructure bill.
鈥淭he House of Representatives made a transformational change in America by voting for the largest and most impactful legislation, I believe, in the history of the United States,鈥� said Houston鈥檚 Sheila Jackson Lee after the vote.
Lee also said she held out her infrastructure vote 鈥渁s long as [she] could鈥� to get an for the larger social spending bill on the week of Nov. 15.
Here鈥檚 a list of the Texas Congressional delegation and how they voted, organized by party:
Republicans - all 鈥渘o鈥�
- Louie Gohmert (Tyler)
- Dan Crenshaw (Houston)
- Van Taylor (Plano)
- Pat Fallon (Sherman)
- Lance Gooden (Terrell)
- Jake Ellzey (Waxahachie)
- Kevin Brady (The Woodlands)
- Michael McCaul (Austin)
- August Pfluger (San Angelo)
- Kay Granger (Fort Worth)
- Ronny Jackson (Amarillo)
- Randy Weber (Friendswood)
- Pete Sessions (Waco)
- Jodey Arrington (Lubbock)
- Chip Roy (Austin)
- Troy Nehls (Richmond)
- Tony Gonzales (San Antonio)
- Beth Van Duyne (Irving)
- Roger Williams (Austin)
- Michael Burgess (Lewisville)
- Michael Cloud (Victoria)
- John Carter (Round Rock)
- Brian Babin (Woodville)
Democrats - all 鈥測es鈥�
- Lizzie Fletcher (Houston)
- Al Green (Houston)
- Vicente Gonzalez (McAllen)
- Veronica Escobar (El Paso)
- Sheila Jackson Lee (Houston)
- Joaquin Castro (San Antonio)
- Henry Cuellar (Laredo)
- Sylvia Garcia (Houston)
- Eddie Bernice Johnson (Dallas)
- Colin Allred (Dallas)
- Marc Veasey (Fort Worth)
- Filemon Vela (Brownsville)
- Lloyd Doggett (Austin)
