According to Politico Playbook, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wasn’t too happy late Thursday night after hearing that five of his Republican colleagues in the Senate had agreed with Democrats on a $1.2 trillion compromise on an infrastructure bill that was tied to reconciliation. President Joe Biden was clear afterward that he would only sign a bipartisan infrastructure bill if Congress also approves a larger measure focused on “human infrastructure” programs such as subsidized child care, home caregiving, and climate change. Graham seems to think that the GOP got played.
The outlet spoke with Graham, one of the 11 Republicans who signed onto the original infrastructure framework, on Thursday night as he boarded a plane to California.
Lindsey is mad, y’all.
“After hearing what Biden said about linking the small bipartisan bill to the big reconciliation bill, Graham told us … he’s out,” Politico reports.
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“If he’s gonna tie them together, he can forget it!” Graham said, according to the outlet. “I’m not doing that. That’s extortion! I’m not going to do that. The Dems are being told you can’t get your bipartisan work product passed unless you sign on to what the left wants, and I’m not playing that game.”
“Graham said the five Republicans negotiating the deal never told him about the linkage strategy, and he does not believe that they were aware of it,” the report continues.
“Most Republicans could not have known that,” Graham said. “There’s no way. You look like a fucking idiot now.” He added, “I don’t mind bipartisanship, but I’m not going to do a suicide mission.”
“Graham often changes his mind, so Republicans close to the negotiations may take his comments with a grain of salt,” the outlet reports. “But at the same time, Republicans who want this deal to happen believe Biden created a massive problem that could put the entire deal in jeopardy.”
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell got a taste of his own medicine, accusing Democratic leaders of “pulling the rug out from under their bipartisan negotiators.”
Unsurprisingly, Republicans are only happy when the wealthiest are gifted with tax breaks.
You can read the full report here.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
