Blackburn, Hagerty not among 19 GOP senators to approve infrastructure bill

Republican Bill Hagerty speaks to a reporter before casting his early vote in Nashville on Oct. 21, 2020. (Erik Schelzig, Tennessee Journal)

Nineteen Republicans in the U.S. Senate voted to approve a $1 trillion infrastructure bill on Tuesday. Tennessee Republicans Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood and Bill Hagerty of Nashville were not among them.

If approved by the House, Tennessee would be in line to receive receive $5.8 billion in additional highway funds, plus $302 million for bridge replacement and repairs. The state also would qualify for an estimated $633 million over five years to improve public transportation options.

Hagerty had tried to peel off Republican support by blocking efforts to expedite a final vote, citing a Congressional Budget Office estimate that measure would add $256 billion to the federal deficit over the next decade.

“There’s absolutely no reason for rushing this process and attempting to eliminate scrutiny of the bill, other than the Democrats’ completely artificial, self-imposed and politically-driven timeline,” Hagerty said over the weekend.

Here are the GOP members who joined all 50 Democrats in passing the bill 69-30, according to The New York Times:

  • Roy Blunt of Missouri
  • Richard Burr of North Carolina
  • Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
  • Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
  • Susan Collins of Maine
  • Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
  • Michael D. Crapo of Idaho
  • Deb Fischer of Nebraska
  • Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
  • Charles E. Grassley of Iowa
  • John Hoeven of North Dakota
  • Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
  • Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
  • Rob Portman of Ohio
  • James Risch of Idaho
  • Mitt Romney of Utah
  • Dan Sullivan of Alaska
  • Thom Tillis of North Carolina
  • Roger Wicker of Mississippi

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