National Review’s Philip Klein: Infrastructure Bill ‘Pathetic Surrender Built on Mountain of Lies’

Philip Klein, editor of National Review Online, calls the $1.2 trillion “bipartisan” infrastructure deal currently proceeding in the Senate “a pathetic surrender that has been built on a mountain of lies.”

Klein’s tough stance is notable, given that his publication has taken a moderate direction in recent years, opposing President Donald Trump’s nomination as the Republican candidate in 2016. Klein himself de-registered as a Republican to oppose Trump.

Yet the $1.2 trillion bill — which would create no economic growth, would add $256 billion to the federal deficit, and would not fund the border wall or any other major Republican priorities — is a bridge too far for Klein. He wrote Monday:

Republicans have helped put President Biden several steps closer to passing his top legislative priority in voting multiple times to advance an unnecessary and costly infrastructure bill that will pave the way for Democrats to pass their multi-trillion dollar social agenda. This is a pathetic surrender that has been built on a mountain of lies.

Republicans who voted for this monstrosity claimed that the infrastructure bill they negotiated would be fully paid for. It isn’t. They claimed it would narrowly focus on traditional infrastructure such as fixing roads and bridges. It doesn’t. They claimed it would help convince moderate Democrats to abandon Biden’s larger bill. It won’t.

Republicans have voted for a bill that will add to the deficits at a time when debt as a share of the economy is on track to break the World War II record this year, according to Biden’s own budget. And at a time when inflation is on the rise.

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This is a reckless and irresponsible action from a policy perspective and malpractice from a political perspective. If Republicans lose big time in 2022, they have nobody but themselves to blame.

Read Klein’s full article here.