By Fatma Khaled
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North Dakota Republican Senator Kevin Cramer on Sunday pushed back against Fox host Maria Bartiromo portrayal of the infrastructure deal.
"We have all experienced a lack of resiliency to our energy infrastructure. The Colonial Pipeline cyberattack is a pretty good example of that," Cramer told Bartriomo during an appearance on her show Sunday Morning Futures. "Some of the things [in the deal] contribute to the overall infrastructure of our country."
On Saturday, the U.S. Senate agreed to advance President Joe Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal despite threats made by his predecessor former President Donald Trump.
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Eighteen Republicans said yes to the bill in a 67-27 vote, among them Roy Blunt, Shelley Capito, Bill Cassidy, Mitt Romney and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The vote comes after months of negotiations.
The package, championed by Biden's administration, includes funding for roads, bridges, broadband internet, power grid upgrades, and other priorities.
Bartriomo also referred to a part of the deal that dictates rules in areas that are managed by local authorities such as drinking water and broadband, saying "once again we see the Democrats taking power away from the governors and putting it on the federal level. Is that fair?"
"That is not fair," Cramer responded, but said that it may be fair in regards to broadband or water.
Cramer also criticized Trump for his statement about the bill, saying that "he didn't give one reason why it's a bad deal, other than it's Joe Biden's [bill]. I think he's wrong on this issue."
Trump earlier voiced his opposition to the bill, saying it "will be used against the Republican Party in the upcoming elections in 2022 and 2024. It will be very hard for me to endorse anyone foolish enough to vote in favor of this deal."
The former president called the package a "gift" to the Democrats and argued that it was only supported by "RINOs," an acronym meaning "Republicans in name only."
Bartriomo also asked Cramer why the money is not used to fix issues concerning the southern border instead of putting it into an infrastructure bill.
"Is there any acknowledgment from the Biden administration that we are in a border crisis and he needs to address it?" she inquired.
Cramer responded: "Obviously we're not gonna get Democrats to agree to a bill that builds a wall."
Seventeen GOP senators—McConnell among them—voted to open debate on the legislation late last month. A group of 10 Republican and 10 Democratic senators worked to negotiate the deal.
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