Congresswoman Claudia Tenney Opposes Green New Deal Infrastructure Bill

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) issued the following statement after voting against the Green New Deal being moved through Congress under the guise of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package. 

This legislation ignores core national infrastructure needs, and instead authorizes massive spending for carelessly crafted programs that will force out private infrastructure investment and promote the far left’s climate and social agendas. The bill is also a Trojan horse that enables passage of the multi-trillion dollar budget reconciliation bill authored by socialist Senator Bernie Sanders, which will significantly expand the role of the U.S. federal government into every corner of the private sphere, while raising taxes on hardworking New Yorkers.

“We must invest in our Nation’s infrastructure by cutting red tape, incentivizing long-term private sector investment, and meeting the needs of everyday Americans. But this bill fails to deliver on these priorities. Less than ten percent of new spending in this bill goes to roads and bridges. This shortfall reveals the real intentions behind the wasteful spending bill. It is not about investing in communities like ours, it’s about redistributing wealth from rural areas to urban centers. It contains subsidies for luxury electric vehicles and wasteful spending for non-federal transit systems, among other misguided and counterproductive government programs. I support targeted investments in our infrastructure that are well thought out and improve the quality of life for Americans. Sadly, this bill is not that,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

“Worse yet, this bill paves the way for House Democrats to now pass the Biden-Pelosi-Sanders Reconciliation bill, which is the most wasteful bill in our nation’s history. It is trillions of dollars in misguided and downright dangerous policies, like new taxes on farms and small businesses, mass amnesty for up to eight million illegal immigrants, and a new IRS surveillance program. I cannot in good conscience support a proposal that is tied to a funding package that would have such devastating consequences for the hardworking New York families I was elected to represent,” Congresswoman Tenney concluded.

Background on the Infrastructure Bill:

• $1.2 trillion in overall spending paves the way for trillion dollar Budget Reconciliation bill
• $7.5 billion for electric vehicles (EV) and EV charging stations
• $21 billion for “environmental remediation”
• Less than 10 percent is spent on roads and bridges
• Adds $256 billion to our national debt over 10 years
• Partial, so-called “pay-fors” are a combination of hidden taxes and accounting tricks
• Creates a host of duplicative programs without accountability or taxpayer protections

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