Youngkin: Dems' $1.2T infrastructure bill passed by Congress offers 'good support' for Virginia

"The politics on the other side of it, I'll leave to the folks who pay attention to that," said the Old Dominion's governor-elect, who led the GOP to a sweep of statewide offices in the recent election.

By Nicholas Ballasy

Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin says the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress will help his state.

Less than one week after the GOP sweep of statewide offices in Virginia's election, 13 House Republicans incurred the wrath of former President Trump by voting to pass the bill, which President Biden helped to negotiate.

Youngkin was asked for his reaction to those GOP lawmakers crossing the aisle to give Biden a legislative victory.

"Mine is far less of a good or bad political decision," Youngkin said after a 246th birthday ceremony for the Marine Corps at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va. "There's going to be good support for Virginia that comes out of that bill, and right now we're trying to make sure we identify where the support for Virginia can come. We've got a lot of infrastructure needs in Virginia.

"I've been very focused on broadband access in rural Virginia, really important, making sure that our roads and bridges are reinforced and maintained, but we've also got a lot of expansion we need to do in order to connect Virginia."

Youngkin said Virginia has one of the "great natural wonders in the world" in its ports.

"Hampton Roads should be a growth engine for Virginia," he said. "We need to connect it better so that all of Virginia can benefit from the leading capabilities that exist at our port, and so this infrastructure bill, I think, will provide a lot of resources for that. The politics on the other side of it, I'll leave to the folks who pay attention to that. I'm really focused on making sure Virginia gets moving, and I think the infrastructure bill will help us."

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the legislation will add to the nation's deficit.

Trump criticized the Republicans who voted in favor of the bill in the House and Senate, referring to them as "RINOs" or "Republicans In Name Only."

"How about all of those Republican Senators that voted thinking that helping the Democrats is such a wonderful thing to do, so politically correct," Trump said in a statement on Sunday. "They just don’t get it! Now they’ll go for the big kill — getting their second $1.9 Trillion Bill (really $5 Trillion) approved, again with RINO support."

Trump was referring to the separate nearly $2 trillion social spending bill the Democrats are seeking to pass with budget reconciliation.