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Bacon hits back at Republican fury over his 'yes' vote for infrastructure

"To say that a bill is right for your district, right for your state, something you helped write and then you have to vote against it because you don't want to give the other side a victory? That is a sign of what's broken," the Republican congressman said Tuesday

Bacon hits back at Republican fury over his 'yes' vote for infrastructure

"To say that a bill is right for your district, right for your state, something you helped write and then you have to vote against it because you don't want to give the other side a victory? That is a sign of what's broken," the Republican congressman said Tuesday

DAVID: YEAH, ROB, JULIE, BACON TOLD ME TODAY THERE ARE PEOPLE CALLING HIS OFFICE WITH ALL KINDS OF MISINFORMATNIO ABOUT THE BILL, SAYING IT CONTAINS PROVISIONS ABOUT AMNESTY OR SIAOCL SPENDING PROGRAMS. -- IMMIGRATION AMNESTY OR SOCIAL SPENDING PROGRAMS. IT’S JUST NOT TE.RU HERE’S SOME OF WHAT’S IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL -- SPECIFICALLY FOR NEBRASKA, $2.5 BILLION FOR ROADS AND BRIDS,GE $100 MILLION FOR RALUR BROADBAND, AND $200 MILLIOTON REPLACE LEADIP PES USED FOR DRINKING WATER. >> IT IS FRUSTRATINGO THAVE YOUR OWN SIDE, LIKE -- I WAS ON THE FLOOR LISTENING TO THIS, IF YOU VOTE FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, YOU’REOT VING FOR 45 TAX INCREASES. ATTH WAS A LIE. THAT’S IN THE OTHER BILL. DAVID: THE OTHER BILL BEING THE RECONCILTIIAON PACKAGE. BACON OPPOSES THAT BUDGET BILL, WHICH THE WHITE HOUSE CALLS "BUILD BACK BETTER." THAT’S STILL UNDER NEGOTIATION IN CONGRESS AND HAS NO REPUBLICAN SUPPORT DEMOCRATS MAY NOT EVEN PASS IT. BACON SAYS THE LANGUAGE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL HE VOTED FOR HASN’T CHANGED SINCE AUGUST. HE POINTS OUT CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE, LIKE MITCH MCCONNELL, DEB FISERCH AND CHUCK GRASSLEY ALL BACKED TH
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Bacon hits back at Republican fury over his 'yes' vote for infrastructure

"To say that a bill is right for your district, right for your state, something you helped write and then you have to vote against it because you don't want to give the other side a victory? That is a sign of what's broken," the Republican congressman said Tuesday

If some Congressional Republicans have their way, Rep. Don Bacon would lose his spots on the armed services and agriculture committees after voting 'yes' on the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.Punchbowl News first reported the plan for political payback Tuesday, about 48 hours after Bacon and 12 other House Republicans lent their support to the bi-partisan legislation that had already passed the Senate with GOP support from Nebraska's Deb Fischer, Iowa's Chuck Grassley and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.To some in the House Republican caucus, their colleagues' votes helped "Democrats cross the majority threshold on a key piece of President Joe Biden's legislative agenda," undermining party strategy, the outlet reported.President Biden will sign the bill into law "very soon," according to the White House.He weighed in on the possible Republican retribution during a town hall today, as reported by Politico."I've never seen it before. It's got to stop — for the sake of America," the president said.The infrastructure plan provides money to update roads and bridges, airports, public transportation, clean drinking water and the electric grid, along with expanding rural high-speed Internet access."To say that a bill is right for your district, right for your state, something you helped write and then you have to vote against it because you don't want to give the other side a victory, that is a sign of what's broken," Bacon, R-Neb., said in a KETV NewsWatch 7 interview. "I don't want to be a part of that."Nebraska stands to receive a windfall of money for critical infrastructure upgrades. Among the highlights: $2.5 billion for roads and bridges, $100 million for rural broadband expansion and $200 million for replacing lead pipes that deliver drinking water.But Bacon's office started to feel the retaliation Monday, when people were calling asking why he voted for amnesty for illegal immigrants and expanding social services."They are being intentionally deceived by some folks in our party and Washington and some of the so-called conservative outlets," Bacon said, calling the GOP misinformation frustrating. "I was on the floor listening to this, 'if you vote for the infrastructure bill you're voting for 45 tax increases.' That was a lie. That's in the other bill."The other bill is the reconciliation package still being negotiated by Democrats.It's a $1.75 trillion budget measure the White House has branded as 'Build Back Better.' It contains measures like funding universal Pre-K, child tax credits, expanded Medicare benefits and paid family leave.Republicans have slammed the bill as too expensive and are critical of tax measures Democrats intend to use to pay for the legislation."These are two separate bills," said Bacon, adamant he's a firm 'no' on supporting the broader spending package.Bacon criticized the sweeping nature of the reconciliation bill, but he seemed open to working with Democrats on some measures that are contained in the overall legislation, offering a baseball analogy for how Congress could get more done." could get singles and there would be a lot of Republicans on board," he said. "But they're trying to hit a grand slam."KETV NewsWatch 7 asked Rep. Bacon where he stood on several specific provisions of the Build Back Better framework, which he opposes in whole. Below are his full answers.Paid Family Leave: How do you do it for very small firms? That's one of the challenges. So I think that's what you have to navigate through for the smaller companies because it's a different scenario. Family leave, generally we want to support that, in the military we have that.Corporate Minimum Tax (15%): Mixed feelings, but here's one of the drawbacks. We've offered companies if they invest, put in a new building, hire new employees, they can do immediate expensing. It fuels our economy, they're buying equipment and they're hiring people, so what you're doing is you're getting rid of the immediate expensing when you do that and that will have an effect on economic growth, so I would say that's a drawback.Immigration: What is that doing in a budget bill?Dental, Vision and Hearing for Medicare: I tend to favor that. I think there probably has to be a premium attached because Medicare is going to go under by 2027, I think. So you just can't keep offering more benefits without some money going in, but as someone who's retired out of the military, you need the help. You gotta have vision, you gotta have hearing, we should try to make that easier.

If some Congressional Republicans have their way, Rep. Don Bacon would lose his spots on the armed services and agriculture committees after voting 'yes' on the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.

Punchbowl News first reported the plan for political payback Tuesday, about 48 hours after Bacon and 12 other House Republicans lent their support to the bi-partisan legislation that had already passed the Senate with GOP support from Nebraska's Deb Fischer, Iowa's Chuck Grassley and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

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To some in the House Republican caucus, their colleagues' votes helped "Democrats cross the majority threshold on a key piece of President Joe Biden's legislative agenda," undermining party strategy, the outlet reported.

President Biden will sign the bill into law "very soon," according to the White House.

He weighed in on the possible Republican retribution during a town hall today, as reported by Politico.

"I've never seen it before. It's got to stop — for the sake of America," the president said.

The infrastructure plan provides money to update roads and bridges, airports, public transportation, clean drinking water and the electric grid, along with expanding rural high-speed Internet access.

"To say that a bill is right for your district, right for your state, something you helped write and then you have to vote against it because you don't want to give the other side a victory, that is a sign of what's broken," Bacon, R-Neb., said in a KETV NewsWatch 7 interview. "I don't want to be a part of that."

Nebraska stands to receive a windfall of money for critical infrastructure upgrades. Among the highlights: $2.5 billion for roads and bridges, $100 million for rural broadband expansion and $200 million for replacing lead pipes that deliver drinking water.

But Bacon's office started to feel the retaliation Monday, when people were calling asking why he voted for amnesty for illegal immigrants and expanding social services.

"They are being intentionally deceived by some folks in our party and Washington and some of the so-called conservative outlets," Bacon said, calling the GOP misinformation frustrating. "I was on the floor listening to this, 'if you vote for the infrastructure bill you're voting for 45 tax increases.' That was a lie. That's in the other bill."

The other bill is the reconciliation package still being negotiated by Democrats.

It's a $1.75 trillion budget measure the White House has branded as 'Build Back Better.' It contains measures like funding universal Pre-K, child tax credits, expanded Medicare benefits and paid family leave.

Republicans have slammed the bill as too expensive and are critical of tax measures Democrats intend to use to pay for the legislation.

"These are two separate bills," said Bacon, adamant he's a firm 'no' on supporting the broader spending package.

Bacon criticized the sweeping nature of the reconciliation bill, but he seemed open to working with Democrats on some measures that are contained in the overall legislation, offering a baseball analogy for how Congress could get more done.

"[Democrats] could get singles and there would be a lot of Republicans on board," he said. "But they're trying to hit a grand slam."

KETV NewsWatch 7 asked Rep. Bacon where he stood on several specific provisions of the Build Back Better framework, which he opposes in whole. Below are his full answers.

Paid Family Leave: How do you do it for very small firms? That's one of the challenges. So I think that's what you have to navigate through for the smaller companies because it's a different scenario. Family leave, generally we want to support that, in the military we have that.

Corporate Minimum Tax (15%): Mixed feelings, but here's one of the drawbacks. We've offered companies if they invest, put in a new building, hire new employees, they can do immediate expensing. It fuels our economy, they're buying equipment and they're hiring people, so what you're doing is you're getting rid of the immediate expensing when you do that and that will have an effect on economic growth, so I would say that's a drawback.

Immigration: What is that doing in a budget bill?

Dental, Vision and Hearing for Medicare: I tend to favor that. I think there probably has to be a premium attached because Medicare is going to go under by 2027, I think. So you just can't keep offering more benefits without some money going in, but as someone who's retired out of the military, you need the help. You gotta have vision, you gotta have hearing, we should try to make that easier.