Last November, Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Iowa, called the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill a “socialist spending spree.”
“It takes the Marxist ideology that once only existed in textbooks and makes it law in the United States of America,” she added.
Given that characterization, it’s no surprise that Hinson voted against the legislation.
But that hasn’t stopped her from taking credit for the projects it has financed. Indeed, in a Wednesday press release, she touted the infrastructure bill’s “critical…landmark investment” toward modernizing the locks and dams on the Mississippi River, which borders her district.
“I helped lead a bipartisan group of my colleagues in urging the administration to prioritize funding for these essential upgrades,” the statement added. “I’ll always fight to ensure Iowans’ taxpayer dollars are reinvested at home in Iowa.”
Likewise, in a Wednesday tweet, she said “we secured” an investment that is “game-changing for Iowa’s agriculture industry.”
The Washington Post reports:
Hinson’s promotion of the funds earmarked by the bill did not go unnoticed by Democrats. In a tweet, Iowa state Sen. Liz Mathis (D), who is running against Hinson for the House seat, accused Hinson of “taking credit for work she didn’t do.”
“You voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill,” Mathis tweeted. “The bill clearly isn’t ‘spending at its worst’ now that you want to take credit for it.”
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also called out Hinson, with spokeswoman Elena Kuhn accusing her of trying to “rewrite her record.”
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) joined the pile-on, tweeting “Tell the truth @RepAshleyHinson — you didn’t vote for this bill. You voted for a dam collapse. If you had your way your neighbors would be underwater. Thankfully, @HouseDemocrats passed this bill and we did your dam job. Give me a break.”
A spokeswoman for Hinson offered this defense: “Since the bill was signed into law, this money was going to be spent regardless. If there’s federal money on the table she is, of course, going to do everything she can to make sure it is reinvested in Iowa.”
Hinson wasn’t alone in her attempt to take credit for a bill she voted against. Rep. Kay Granger, a Texas Republican, also released a statement praising an investment stemming from the infrastructure bill. The Post adds details:
Granger, the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, celebrated the news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would spend $403 million for a flood control project in her home state. That funding was allocated as a result of the infrastructure bill, which in November Granger described as a “liberal wish list.”
“Instead of working together on a targeted infrastructure proposal focused on our nation’s true needs, [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi chose to pave the way for her nearly $2 trillion socialist plan full of crushing taxes and radical spending,” Granger said back then.
Writing for MSNBC, producer Steve Benen tried to unpack the seeming hypocrisy:
Either the new law is reckless socialism, or it’s poised to make worthwhile investments that will help a lot of people. Either Republicans are going to make the case against the package, or they’re going to celebrate the parts of it that benefit their constituents.
When the GOP tries to do both at the same time — just as the party did with the Recovery Act and the American Rescue Plan — Republicans shouldn’t be surprised when they get called out for their brazenness.