Exclusive – Rep. Drew Ferguson: Stuffing Infrastructure Bill with Green New Deal, ‘Liberal Wish List’ Will Not Garner GOP Support

Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA), the House Republican chief deputy whip, told Breitbart News in an exclusive statement Friday that Democrats stuffing the $2.5 trillion coronavirus bill would not garner Republican support for the legislation.

President Joe Biden said Friday he expects to get support from Republicans on the American Jobs Plan, or what Ferguson calls “Biden’s so-called infrastructure plan.”

Biden said:

 I think we’re going to be able to get — I’m hoping we will have some bipartisan support across the board. I’ve already spoken to some of my Republican colleagues about dealing with the infrastructure legislation we have up there, as well as other budget items. So we’re going to work on seeing if we can get some bipartisan support across the board here.

As the GOP deputy whip, Ferguson is well tapped into the sentiment within the House Republican Conference. Ferguson said the infrastructure bill fails to revitalize America’s infrastructure while funding leftist priorities such as the Green New Deal.

“Under President Biden’s so-called infrastructure plan, less than six percent of the $2 trillion bill would go to roads and bridges, less than two percent toward improving our nation’s waterways, locks, dams, ports, and airports, and less than five percent would be used to improve broadband access,” the Georgia Republican said. “Shockingly, more than 75 percent of the funds are reserved for yet another liberal wish list – including much of the Green New Deal – unrelated to the issue at hand.”

“The administration’s plan also includes a series of job-killing tax increases. By raising the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, U.S. companies will suffer and be at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace,” he added.

A GOP leadership aide told Breitbart News that House Republicans do not support the bill because it caters to the Democrats’ progressive base.

The aide said Republicans do not support the bill as “it currently stands because it’s not actually an infrastructure bill. It’s a grab bag on unrelated leftist policy fantasies falsely titled infrastructure.”

Democrats face a historically slim majority in the House. Due to significant Democrat losses during the 2020 congressional elections, and many Democrats leaving to join the Biden administration, Democrats can only afford to lose two votes to pass legislation through Congress’s lower chamber.

Further complicating matters, moderate Democrats have balked at the infrastructure plan’s tax increases and that it does not include a repeal of former President Trump’s limitation of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. In comparison, progressive House Democrats, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), said the infrastructure bill needs to spend at least $10 trillion.

Republicans remained united in their opposition to Biden’s last significant legislation, signaling they may also remain resolute against his infrastructure bill.

No House Republican voted for the America Rescue Plan, Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus bill; however, it did receive bipartisan support against the legislation. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) voted against the bill.

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) lambasted the infrastructure plan for failing to make a majority of its spending related to funding basic infrastructures such as roads, bridges, and railways.

Ferguson charged that stuffing the bill with leftists’ wish lists and axing parts of Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would not garner Republican support. He called on the Biden administration to draft a truly bipartisan bill that would help the American people.

“That’s most certainly not the way to get Republicans on board. That, however, is of no concern to the woke progressives who are pulling the president’s strings. Reminiscent of their last liberal catch-all spending bill, Democrats are again turning their backs on implementing focused and effective policy,” he said.

“It’s time to drop the partisan posturing and work together to develop a serious infrastructure plan that serves the American people,” the Georgia conservative concluded. “They deserve better than another round of this nonsense.”