OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Voting along with Democrats could come with a price for some Republicans, and that is what South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham just discovered the hard way.
The Aiken County Republican Party overwhelmingly voted to censure the Republican senator over charges he has moved to far to the left, The Post And Courier reported.
The local party this week accused the powerful South Carolina Republican of playing both sides of the political aisle to his advantage, consciously violating Republican principles, backing bills “that target our freedoms,” and, ultimately, wandering too far to the left.
Requests for comment made to Graham’s office and the S.C. Republican Party were not immediately answered Friday night.
But Graham said that the infrastructure bill, which faces an uncertain future as it head to the House, is good for South Carolina.”
“It provides much-needed help for our roads, bridges, ports, and expands broadband internet access,” he said after the bill was passed. “I have always been supportive of infrastructure investment and wish we had passed this years ago. This bill provides American infrastructure with a much-needed face-lift.”
He said South Carolina “will receive $4.6 billion in highway funding, $274 million in bridge replacement and rehabilitation funding, and $70 million to assist in the deployment of electric vehicles and charging stations over the next five years.”
But Donald Trump was furious at some Republicans after the bill was passed.
“Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill is a disgrace,” he said in an email to reporters. “Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill 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.”
And prior to the bill being passed Trump threatened that he would have a tough time endorsing Republicans who voted for it.
“Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill is a disgrace. If Mitch McConnell was smart, which we’ve seen no evidence of, he would use the debt ceiling card to negotiate a good infrastructure package,” he said in the email.
“This is a 2,700 page bill that no one could have possibly read—they would have needed to take speed reading courses. It is a gift to the Democrat Party, compliments of Mitch McConnell and some RINOs, who have no idea what they are doing. There is very little on infrastructure in all of those pages. Instead, they track your driving so they can tax you. It is Joe Biden’s form of a gas tax but far bigger, far higher and, mark my words, far worse. They want to track you everywhere you go and watch everything you do!
“Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill 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,” Trump said.
“The good news is that the progressive wing in the Democrat Party will lose all credibility with this approval. Additionally, Kevin McCarthy and Republican House members seem to be against the bill. If it can’t be killed in the Senate, maybe it dies in the House!
“Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats understand that this is the way to get the horrendous $3.5 trillion, actually $5 trillion, Green New Deal bill done in the House. Mitch is playing right into Nancy’s hands, not to mention the fact Chuck Schumer is already going around saying this is a big victory for the Democrats. Whether it’s the House or the Senate, think twice before you approve this terrible deal. Republicans should wait until after the Midterms when they will gain all the strength they’ll need to make a good deal, but remember, you already have the card, it’s called the debt ceiling, which the Democrats threatened us with constantly,” he said.